Send Me on My Way
by laurenwrites
Summary: You know what they say about the young.
1. Chapter One

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_I would like to reach out my hand_  
_I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)_  
_You know what they say about the young._

- Send Me On My Way, Rusted Root

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**Chapter One**

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Somewhere along the Interstate-35, in a tiny town just outside of Wichita, Kansas, he sticks his thumb out.

By his count, he's come roughly 125 miles since leaving Tulsa. So far, he's ridden in five different vehicles: two pick-up trucks, a Ford Pinto, a station wagon, and Pontiac. As he stands on the grassy side of the highway, he only hopes that he can catch a lucky number six. It takes almost an hour—which the beating sun rising over the Midwest makes brutal—but he's eternally grateful when a faded brown Oldsmobile comes to a rolling stop right next to him.

"Where're ya goin', son?"

"Phoenix. But I'll take wherever you can get me."

The man, whose worn, wrinkled face makes him look about twenty years older than he is, shrugs. "Well, hop on in."

He nods in appreciation and opens the passenger side door. He's a cliché, really, when he tosses his guitar case—which holds the only worldly possession that actually means anything to him—into the back seat. As they're pulling back onto the road, he sets his backpack between his legs on the floorboard and pulls the seatbelt across his chest.

"I'm Joe," the driver says, lighting a new cigarette. "What's your name, kid?"

"Beck," he answers the man, whom Beck thinks is probably in his forties or fifties.

"You can't be more than eighteen years old," Joe guesses. "You got a baby face."

"I'm eighteen. Be nineteen in a few months." It's a lie—one he's lost track of how many times he's told. He only turned seventeen three weeks ago, but the last thing anyone giving a stranger on the side of the road a lift wants to find out is that said stranger is a minor. Too many liabilities, Beck assumes.

"And what in the hell is a pretty boy like you doin' out here in Hayesville, Kansas? You look like you should be over in Hollywood, doin' movies and fuckin' a lotta good lookin' women, huh." Joe laughs to himself and takes another drag.

"I'm coming from Tulsa, where I had a few gigs at a nice bar down there." Lie. "My car broke down just outside of Stillwater, so I've been hitching rides since then." Another lie. "My brother lives over in Phoenix, though, so I'm going to crash with him for a while." And another.

"Alright. Well, long as you don't cause me any troubles, I'm stayin' on I-35 'til dark."

"Thanks, Joe."

At half past eight o'clock, when Joe plans on pulling over to stay at the Red Boat Motel just on the Kansas border, he lets Beck out of the car. The teenager thanks him graciously, but declines his offer for a ride to the inn. Most drivers come through random towns like this at night, when they're just passing through, and Beck can't afford to miss what could be another savior. He's exhausted, but he stands tall at the nearest streetlight and once again sticks his thumb out.

After fifteen minutes, a guy opens the door of his pick-up truck for Beck, and he finds himself back on the highway.

He doesn't mean to fall asleep. He never does—really; it's too dangerous. But he hasn't slept in over fifty hours and he's too tired to keep his eyes peeled open for any longer. When he wakes up, the sun is barely rising. He almost asks how far along they'd gotten when he sees the green sign sticking out to his right.

_Welcome to Scottsbluff, the friendliest town in Nebraska._

_Population: 8,031_

Beck sits up straighter and blinks open his eyes to look at the driver. "Wait, Nebraska?"

"Yeah, I had to take a bit of a detour. My girlfriend called—well, she's not exactly my girlfriend, more like a ass full of—"

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up?"

"Calm the fuck down; Arizona's the next state over."

"It's three states in the opposite direction!" Beck argues.

"Alright, well fine!" He slams on his brakes and Beck involuntarily lunges forward. "You got three seconds to get out before I beat your ass. Go."

Beck grabs his backpack quickly and reaches into the back to pick up his guitar. "Ah-ah." The driver sneers. "I keep this."

"What? No! That's—"

"You got two options: you get the fuck out of my face and leave me this here guitar, or we settle this now and you end up dead in the grass five feet away."

Beck's clenched jaw is trembling, from fear or anger or a combination of both, so he tugs himself away and slams the door shut. The car shoots off and Beck is left with just his backpack.

"Shit." He throws the bag on the side of the road with a force that would break anything valuable inside it, if he even had anything valuable to begin with. "Shit! Shit, fuck, fuck!"

An hour later, he's sitting in the grass. The sun is rising quickly over cornfields of rural Nebraska, and he knows that the unfortunate grumbling in his stomach will need to be settled soon. He unzips the front pocket of his backpack and reaches for the paper bag he knows is still there. He and Joe had made a stop at Dairy Queen for lunch yesterday, and Joe had even bought his companion a burger and fries (not to mention the Coca Cola).

Beck had scarfed the burger embarrassingly fast. The Coke, too. But he at least had enough sense to save at least half of the french fries, as he had no idea at the time where his next meal would come from. The fries are cold and soggy at this point, but they're the least of his worries. He rips open a saved packed of ketchup and pours them generously over the fries before eating them.

When he finishes, he zips up his backpack again and begins walking along the highway. Despite the fact that his armload is considerably lighter without his guitar, he'd do anything to have it back with him again.

A few hours pass by, and it's about ten in the morning when a little white Mustang pulls over to where he is. He hadn't had his thumb out, but the car rolls to a stop anyways.

"Hey, Cutie!"

Beck turns his head to see a redhead peering her head out from where she sits in the driver's seat. She's beautiful, and her long, curly hair gives her a sex appeal that surely earns her lots of attention. Her face, though, Beck thinks, looks a whole lot more innocent than she seems.

"Need a ride?"

It's only then that Beck notices that she's not alone, because another girl next to the redhead seems to start a hushed argument with her—presumably about whether or not to let him into the car.

"...my car—"

"...could be crazy—"

"...have some fun—"

"...always do this—"

Are the pieces he catches, but then suddenly the discussion is closed and the girl in the driver's seat turns to smile at him. "So?"

"If it's not any trouble," Beck agrees.

"Never! Hop in the back seat, Darlin'!"

"Thanks; I really appreciate it," he replies as he pulls the door open.

"I'm Caterina, but you, Fine Thing, can call me Cat," she giggles. "This is Lola. She's a bit of a pissy bitch at times; sorry about that."

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

"I'm Beck."

"Lola," the smaller, blonde girl replies.

"Are you sisters, or—"

"Far from it," the blonde clarifies.

Cat smirks. "Nah, I picked her up in Midland last week. Little thirteen-year-old running away from home."

"Yeah," Lola says sarcastically, "because my story is so much more embarrassing than yours." The older girl is about to tell Lola to shut her mouth when the blonde continues anyways. "She didn't tell her boyfriend she got her third abortion, so she skipped town instead. Class act."

"Ugh, fuck you!" She cries, slamming her hands against the steering wheel. Beck flinches. "I couldn't watch him cry again!"

He barely has time to say anything before Cat shrieks and points ahead of them. "Ooh, Burger King!" She squeals, and steers the car across both lanes to pull violently into the drive-thru lane.

Beck and Lola both grip whatever they can to feel safe and Lola screams at her companion (for probably the hundredth time) that her driving is beyond awful.

"I want a milkshake!" She insists.

"For breakfast?" Beck asks hesitantly.

Cat turns around to lick her lips salaciously. "I _love_ sugar."

Lola rolls her eyes and demands for her driver to pull forward so they can order. She turns around to Beck. "You got money, Hollywood?"

"Hollywood?"

"Yeah. You look like one of them Johnny Depp kinda guys. Don't pretend this is the first time anyone's ever told you this."

"It's not," Beck admits.

"Alright, then. You got money?"

The guys who had robbed him during his stay at his first (and only) motel had taken all but twenty of his dollars. By his count, he's got about $8 left. "Yeah."

While Cat orders her strawberry milkshake in the most seductive voice Beck has ever heard, he's scrambling to find a five dollar bill he knows is stuck somewhere in one of the pockets of his backpack. Lola orders her breakfast tacos with a side of hash browns and a Dr. Pepper, and Beck decides on the same—but a Coke instead.

When he hands Lola his money to pay, she shakes her head. "I stole a couple hundred from my dad before I left. I just wanted to make sure you weren't tryin' to bum on us. We'll cover you on this one."

"Wow, thanks."

"No problem."

"Look who's learning to be nice!" Cat exclaims, pressing the gas too much and veering them forward past the window to pick up their food.

"You idiot!" Lola shouts. "Did you put those heels back on? I told you not to wear them when you're driving!"

Cat laughs, and Lola sighs exasperatedly before getting out of the car and going to pay for and pick up their food.

"So," the redhead says as she turns around to face her guest, "where are you headed to, Honey Pie?"

Beck doesn't comment on this girl's fourth (or is it fifth?) nickname for him because he doesn't know how to. "Well, I was originally hoping to go to Phoenix. I've got an uncle that lived there once and, well, I think he's still there. I'm not sure." This time he's telling the truth, because these girls seem far from dangerous. "But some jackass dropped me off at the Nebraska border, miles away from where I was supposed to go. So now I don't really have a destination."

"That's perfect! Come with us!"

Beck smiles at this girl's friendly (if unusual) naivety. "Where to?"

"Burley, Idaho. Real pretty town. Lots of big properties and nice people. The livin' is cheap, too. That's what Lola found out from some guy at a Stop-n-Go in Midland."

Beck nods. "I'll go," he says, because he figures that if he can catch a ride with them all the way to a final stop, he'll get to stop hitchhiking.

"Great! Good news!" Cat informs Lola when she gets back into the car.

"You're not pregnant?"

Cat's face goes from happy to unsure in a quick second. "That's not my news—but we still do need to find a bathroom for me to take that test."

"There's a bathroom right there!"

"That's dirty! I'm not going in there!"

Lola huffs. "Whatever. What's your news?"

Beck feels like he has mental whiplash from these girls' conversations and he's been with them for less than half an hour.

"Beck is staying with us! All the way to Burley."

"Joy."

"Sorry if it's—"

"No," Cat shushes him. "Don't you be sorry about a thing, Sweet Cheeks." She grins at him and then turns back to take a sip of her milkshake before pulling (aggressively) back onto the road. Lola tosses Beck his bag of food, and his hands are nearly shaking from how glad he is to have a real meal.

Just as he's pulling the contents of the bag out, he watches Cat reach for a bottle of nail polish in the front console. "There's no way she's about to paint her nails while driving," Beck thinks to himself, but then she pulls off the top of the bottle and there is definitely no polish inside.

She sticks the brush up into her right nostril and gives it a good sniff before screwing it back onto the bottle. Beck's jaw falls open, but Lola continues eating as if she hadn't just seen their driver snort cocaine. After reviewing his options, he decides it's best to ignore it for the time being. Unless his life is seriously and immediately endangered, his best bet is to stay on the road to Idaho.

(It helps to know that there may be another free meal somewhere down along the way.)

It takes them most of a day to get to the Wyoming-Idaho border. They sleep in the car, parked in a sketchy RV campsite, and make it to Burley by the next morning. Beck doesn't mention how impressive it is that Cat snorted cocaine twice more that day and was still a functional driver, but he certain thanks his stars for it.

When they pull up to a gas station in what looks like the town center, all three passengers get out to stretch their legs. "I wish I could buy you guys a burger or something," Beck tells the girls sheepishly.

"Oh, Sugar, don't worry about that!" Cat shoos his comment off with a wave of her hand. "We loved having you! We'll probably keep on going up to Boise; I've got a guy there." Lola rolls her eyes again, and Beck assumes exactly what kind of guy Cat is referring to. "You want to stay here, or tag along?"

"No, no. I'm great here. Thank you so much, Cat. And, Lola, thanks for not killing me in my sleep."

"You're just lucky, Hollywood." She smirks and Beck smiles at her.

"Good luck with everything. Maybe, if things work out, we'll see each other again."

"Yeah," Cat agrees happily. "I'd like that, Handsome."

Beck grins, half-amused and half-embarrassed, and waves to them one more time before the girls get back in the car and drive off. For the first time since arriving in Burley, he takes a good look at the town. It seems simple enough, but he decides that the best way to see it is by foot—so that's exactly what he does.

It takes roughly three hours of walking around and talking to a few people before he feels like he's got the city down. He knows the major landmarks and how to get around, so he stops at a public park to sit and watch some little kids play.

It's hard, if he's being honest. It's hard to see the watchful parents, loving on their kids and encouraging them to try the slide or tackle the monkey bars. To see how much they care, and how protective and genuine they are with their children. It makes his heart hurt, because if anyone ever clapped for or hugged _him_ for doing something even as trivial as climbing a mini rock wall, he doesn't remember it.

This time, Beck is thankful that the grumbling in his stomach interrupts him from his thoughts. He doesn't want to think anymore. A look at his empty wallet reminds him that he had spent the last of his money on pizza for dinner the night before, but his stomach can't stay in its current state for long.

Grabbing his backpack, he stands up and walks to the market in the town square. Seeing all of the fresh food only torments him more, though, and he's starting to get a migraine. Never in his life has he stolen a thing, but he's starting to consider it as he looks around at how easily accessible the fruit is. After triple checking to make sure that no employees are around or watching, he quickly stuffs a small apple in his right jean pocket.

Just as he's trying to remember to breathe and act naturally, he's startled by a voice behind him.

"Honey, put that apple in my basket."

Beck nearly jumps at the sound. He's instantly conflicted as to whether he should turn around or make a run for it, but quickly decides that the latter will most likely end with him in prison. He turns cautiously to find a woman behind him. She looks like she's about sixty, and he's overwhelmingly glad she's not a cop. She smiles at him and holds her hand out, so he pulls the apple out of his pocket and sets it in her palm.

"There," she says, dropping it in her shopping basket. "That's better. Are you new here in Burley? I don't think I've ever seen you."

Beck assumes she wants him to follow her when she heads down the next aisle of fruit, so—even though he's completely bewildered—he does. "Yes, ma'am. I'm just here looking for work."

"Where'd you come from? You're awfully cute. Do you like bananas?" She asks him, turning back to hold up a bunch of them.

"Yes, ma'am," he answers hesitantly.

"Good." She plops them in her basket.

"I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma."

"That far south, huh? No wonder you're so polite," she says with a smile. "Pick a few things out for yourself. What kind of job are you looking for?"

"Anything," he answers honestly, and remains unsure of where her kindness is coming from. "I'm a good worker and I learn fast."

She nods. "I'm Georgia, by the way. And you are?"

"Beck. I'm Beck." He sticks his hand out to shake hers.

"Well, Beck, I still only see my things in the basket. Go ahead, pick out a few things you like. You've got to be hungry."

He pauses. "Miss Georgia, I—"

"Oh, none of that _Miss_ crap. Just Georgia is fine."

"Georgia," he corrects himself, "I really appreciate your kindness—but I think you may be misunderstood. I don't have any money. I can't pay you back for anything you buy me here."

She chuckles. "Oh, honey, I know. That's fine by me. You like peanut butter pretzels? These used to be my daughter's favorites."

He only speaks because he knows how impolite he'd seem if he let his speechlessness show. "Yes, ma'am. I like anything."

Georgia laughs again. "Of course you do; you're a teenage boy. What was I thinking?" He smiles sheepishly. "You are a teenager, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. Seventeen." He's not sure why he's honest with her; he only hopes he doesn't regret it later.

"Seventeen. You look too tired to be seventeen, darlin'."

"I've just traveled a lot, that's all."

"Mhmm." She tosses a few bags of sliced ham and cheeses in her cart and Beck's mouth waters. "You got a place to stay?"

He shakes his head.

"Any family here?"

And again.

"You know, Beck: I've got a big property just outside of the town center. It's about a ten minute drive and a twenty minute walk. I'm looking for someone to help me tend the land. Keep up the animals, do some yard work, and such. In exchange for work, I'll provide room and board. You happen to know anyone who might be interested in a job like that?"

He's afraid that if he speaks right away, he might have word vomit from how fast he can tell her he accepts. Instead, he waits a quick second before answering. "I would, ma'am. I would be honored to."

"Really? It might be a lot of work."

"I can do whatever you need me to. I'm willing to work."

It's only when they're at the checkout counter and Beck is helping Georgia load the contents of her basket onto the belt that he looks at her oddly. "You're really serious?"

"About what?"

"About this. Me. I could be crazy, like, a serial killer or something."

"Honey, if you ever wanted to be a serial killer, I wish you luck," she says with a smile. "You're about as scary as a teddy bear."

"Hey there, Georgia, how're you doing today?"

"Pretty good, Tom." Georgia finishes unloading her basket and sets it to the side. "I actually made a new friend. This is Beck."

The market employee nods and Beck and shakes his hand. "Georgia Wilson, making friends. What a sight."

"Oh, shut it. Beck here is going to tend my land."

"Good luck," Tom tells him teasingly. "There's a lot of it."

"So I've heard."

"That'll be $40.80." Georgia pulls out her credit card and swipes it, and Beck stares in awe. "See you folks later!"

"Bye, Tommy. You tell Lindsey I say hi."

"I always do," he assures her.

"Tom Rivers," Georgia explains to Beck, once they're out of the store and walking towards her car. "Real sweet guy—he's been working at the market for years. He and his wife Lindsey have been trying to have a baby since last March; it's not going too well."

Beck nods and Georgia laughs at his blank expression. "Burley is a small town, Beck. Everyone knows everyone and news travels fast. You'll learn that real quick."

"Okay."

The drive to Georgia's house is, just as she'd said, roughly ten minutes. Once they enter the front gate, it's still a bit of a drive to get to the actual house. The two-story home is beautiful and, even from the outside, looks more welcoming and pleasant than any home Beck has ever lived in. He has to wonder if she lives here all alone. He has a lot of questions, actually, but for the time being he keeps to himself.

Once Beck has set his backpack inside, Georgia shows him around the property. Tom wasn't kidding when he'd told Beck that the woman had a lot of land. Georgia shows him the stables for the horses, the pond, and gives him directions for the lake way in the back of her land. She shows him exactly which flowers need to be watered and when, and by the evening, he knows he has his work cut out for him.

"This is your room," she says, later when they're upstairs and she's giving him a tour of the house. "Your bathroom is connected. There are two other bedrooms up here, each with its own bathroom. Mine is downstairs. I'll wash the sheets every Sunday and do other laundry a couple times a week. You can eat all of your meals here," she informs him as they head back down the stairs. "I'm an excellent cook." She winks and he smiles. "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: all here in the kitchen. Feel free to grab anything from the pantry or fridge at any time. This is your home now, Beck. Treat it as such."

"Georgia, I can't thank you enough—"

"Then don't. Don't worry about a thing. Come on, let's eat."

Four weeks later, at dinner, Georgia chuckles amidst the silence. Beck looks up from his plate. "What's funny?"

"I just remembered that time you thought I would have considered you to be a serial killer. You've been an excellent houseguest; the challenge will be our new one." Beck furrows his eyebrows and Georgia raises hers. "My granddaughter arrives tomorrow. She's... Well, let's just say she was raised in California."

"She's coming to see you?"

"Not exactly. She's coming because her mother can't deal with her anymore; they've never gotten along and they need some time apart. I haven't seen her in nearly six years; Anna isn't too good about coming up here to Idaho. I guess when you live in Los Angeles, this place isn't too appealing."

"So, she'll be here for the whole summer?"

"The whole summer. I figured I'd warn you in advance."

"Does she know I'm here?"

"She hasn't a clue," Georgia laughs. "But that girl is used to having everything go her way—she could use a good ole' shock to the system."

Beck nods. "What's her name?"

"Jade," Georgia answers with an amused smile. "Jade Georgia West."


	2. Chapter Two

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**Chapter Two**

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"Jade, get back in the car."

"No."

"You don't know where you're going."

"Yes, Mother, I do."

"No, you don't. Get in the car."

"I'm walking."

"We're twenty miles out!"

"I have legs."

"Jade, I wanted to talk. That's why we drove all the way here together."

"Ha! Talk," Jade scoffs. "You didn't want to talk. You wanted to minimize your amount of guilt because you feel bad about shipping me off for the summer."

"You chose this—"

"I did not choose this! You think I would willingly leave my life back home to go live with some crazy bitch that even _you_ can't stand?"

"It was this or summer school, Jade. You chose this."

"Oh, yes, summer school! Locked in a classroom all day with no chance of parole. What great choices those were. Thank you, Mother, for such freedom!"

Anna Lacey sighs tiredly. "Are you going to get back in the car or not?"

"Nope."

Anna pulls off her sunglasses from where they sit in her hair and moves them to cover her eyes again. "Fine. Have it your way." The exasperated mother rolls up her driver's seat window and gets back on the road, leaving her daughter still standing there.

Jade kicks around a few nearby rocks and lets out a loud groan. She looks up at the wide blue sky in front of her and catches site of the colorful, painted sign.

_Welcome to IDAHO_

_Burley city center: 20 miles_

"Fu'cking great."

When Anna pulls up to her mother's house, a place she hasn't seen in over ten years, she's surprised to see that it looks exactly the same as she remembers it. She quickly puts out her cigarette and pops in two breath mints—not that she doesn't know Georgia will be able to smell the stench anyways.

"Anna!" Georgia descends from the steps of her home and waves to her daughter. "You're here!"

"I'm here," the blonde replies shortly.

Georgia eyes her up and down and smiles. "You look nice. Where's my granddaughter?"

"She... She fled from the car."

"She did what?"

"Your granddaughter tends to bolt when she doesn't get her way. She's easy to find, though; just listen for a scream about as loud as a gunshot."

"She doesn't even know where she's going; the last time she was here, she was, what, ten?"

"Oh, she'll find her way. Jade is very resourceful." Georgia looks puzzled, but Anna speaks again before she can reply. "Who is that boy in your yard?"

The older woman turns around and spots her new employee (of sorts) watering the daisies in front of the house. "Oh, that's Beck. He's tending my land. You should meet him; he's real sweet." Anna is about to protest when Georgia calls the boy over to where they are. "Beck, this is my daughter, Anna."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." He smiles charmingly and even Anna understands the appeal.

"No need to call this one ma'am," Georgia teases. "She's from California; she thinks ma'am makes her seem old—God forbid."

Anna ignores her. "Nice meeting you, Beck."

"Beck, would you mind getting Jade's things from the trunk and taking them inside?"

"Not at all," he answers, and moves to do so, leaving the women alone.

"Anyways," Anna says, "Jade should be here eventually. Call me if she doesn't show by tonight; I'll just turn back around."

"Anna?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you drive all the way here?" Anna doesn't reply. "You could have put Jade on a plane here and avoided seeing me altogether. That's what I would have assumed you'd do."

The blonde sighs and leans tiredly against her silver Mercedes Benz. "I thought the drive would do us some good. I thought we could talk. Clearly, I was being naive. She hates me about as much as I hated you. Always has."

"Mhmm," Georgia nods. She won't say it now, but she knows that Anna's relationship problems with her own daughter are far from only Jade's fault. "Alright, well, I suppose I'll talk to you soon. Safe travels."

"Goodbye, Mother. Good luck with Jade."

"No worries on this end," Georgia reminds her. She watches Anna get back in her car and, without another word, drive back through the gates of the property. Georgia heads inside to make lemonade and lunch, and reminds Beck on her way in to keep a look out for her granddaughter.

Having found a patch of grass on the side of the dusty road, Jade is lying in it. Headphones in, sunglasses on, and eyes closed. It's only when someone taps her shoulder that she flies into a sitting up position and lets out an ear-piercing scream.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She yells to a very startled boy, who is now moving back with caution.

"Nothing, nothing! I'm sorry—I didn't mean to startle you. Are you... Are you Jade?"

Jade lifts her Burberry sunglasses to sit on her head. "How do you know who I am?"

"I'm Beck. It's kind of a long story, but your grandmother sent me looking for you. It'll be dark soon, and, well, we're about twenty miles from the town center."

"Yeah, I can read," she informs him, pointing lazily to the large sign in front of them. She tousles her long, black curls and throws her headphones back into her purse. Beck offers his hand to help her stand up, and then notice that she's left her cell phone laying in the grass.

"Your phone."

Jade looks to her side and picks up the iPhone. "Right. Yeah, my mother cut off my cell service." She throws it across the road, leaving it in the dirt. "She's a gem."

Beck raises his eyebrows, but lowers them before she can see his look of surprise. "Well, if you've got everything, I'd be happy to drive you back to your grandmother's."

"Of course you would be." He opens the passenger's side door of the red pick-up truck and Jade huffily gets in. "How do you know Georgia?" She asks after about ten minutes of silence.

Beck hesitates before settling on the easy answer. "I work for her. I take care of the land and the animals."

She doesn't reply, but simply drops her head back against the seat. She watches out the window as they enter the city center, in all its small town glory. For a girl from Los Angeles, she's pretty sure this is what's known as Hell on Earth.

When they pull onto the property, Jade lets out a long sigh and spots her the woman she hasn't seen in six years on the front porch. Her hand is over her forehead to block the sun from her eyes, and Jade can see her smile as Beck parks the truck.

"There she is," Georgia says contently.

Beck heads inside to wash his hands before dinner and to give the women some privacy. Jade, meanwhile, rests against the side of the truck and eyes her grandmother. "Well, you don't _look_ evil."

Georgia shrugs. "Make-up helps." She keeps her blue eyes locked on Jade's matching ones. "Are you hungry? You're about five hours late."

"My mother threw me out of the car."

"I see."

"She might as well have, anyway. She's fucking crazy. I guess I'll find out where she gets it from."

"You're still the same Jade, huh? Very spunky."

"If that's what you want to call it."

Georgia smiles. "Dinner? I'm making chicken."

"Swell." Jade follows her inside, where her grandmother tells her that her bags are already in her room. "So my mom is gone?"

"Already on her way back to California, as usual."

"I knew she wouldn't last more than an hour in this godforsaken state," she mutters, and takes her place at the kitchen table. Three places are set, so she assumes Georgia's work boy is staying for dinner—and she realizes he's right when he comes trudging down the stairs. He looks cleaner already, she notes, with a fresh plaid shirt and his jeans. She also notices that he looks much younger this way, and he can't be much older than her.

The two of them sit down, saying nothing to each other, and Georgia serves three plates of chicken, grilled vegetables, and homemade mashed potatoes. "Jade, how was your drive here?" She asks her granddaughter.

"Fine. I could have taken a plane and skipped the bullshit, though."

"I'm just glad Beck was able to find you. Twenty miles is a long way by foot."

Beck has to remind himself that, yes, to a normal person, that sentence makes sense. Twenty miles on foot to him still feels like nothing. Old habits die hard, he guesses.

"Did you two get to talk at all?"

Jade doesn't answer, so Beck speaks up. "A bit," is the vague reply.

Georgia looks up at Jade, who's eyes are on the glass of water she's drinking. "Beck is working on the property for me, so he's staying here."

The sixteen-year-old promptly chokes on her drink, then, and sets it down quickly. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

"I'm sure you two will enjoy getting to know each other," Georgia says, ignoring her granddaughter's dramatic outbreak. "You're the same age, anyway."

"He's sleeping here? In this house?"

"You don't have to talk about him like he's not right here, Jade," the older woman chuckles. "But, yes, he is. All three of us, under one roof."

Jade doesn't say anything for the rest of dinner, instead choosing to finish her food and leave the conversation between Georgia and Beck. After a scalding hot shower, she opens her suitcases and stares at the sheer amount of _things_ to unpack. Then again, she thinks, if she doesn't settle in, the fact that she has to spend an entire summer in Burley, Idaho won't seem as real.

What she does choose to unpack is her smaller suitcase—the one full of art supplies. Within thirty minutes, the desk in the room is covered in colored pencils, paintbrushes, canvases, paper, watercolors, and more. It's a mess, but she's never been one to care much about being organized.

Another thing she takes the liberty to unpack is her backpack, chalk full of books to entertain her during what's sure to be the most boring summer of her life. She'd brought fifteen with her. With nothing else to do, she could finish them all in less than a month—but she'd figured she could split her time between reading and painting and make them last for the entire three months. After finding places to hold all of her books, she tucks herself into bed.

She wakes the next morning at ten o'clock to the sound of a lawnmower buzzing outside. She sits up in bed and pushes her black sleeping mask, the one she hasn't been able to sleep without since middle school, up onto her forehead. "Ugh," she huffs, as the realization of where she is re-sinks in. She flops back onto her bed but, thanks to the annoying noises coming from outside her window, she knows she won't be able to fall back asleep.

When Jade goes into the kitchen, she sees Georgia sitting at the table, doing a crossword and drinking her jet black coffee. "You missed breakfast. We eat at nine."

"Oops," she retorts carelessly.

"I saved you some pancakes, it being your first morning here and all."

"How kind."

Georgia folds her arms across her chest. "Are you always this sarcastic?"

"I prefer to call it wit," she quips, as one side of her mouth curls upwards.

It's quiet for a few seconds, and then, "Your pancakes are in the fridge; you can heat them up in the microwave. Syrup's on the counter. I'm walking into town to do some grocery shopping and other errands. I'm assuming you don't want to join me?"

"You're not wrong."

Georgia gives a single nod to her granddaughter before grabbing her re-usable bags and her purse. "I'll be back in time to make lunch for all of us; I'll see you around noon," is the last thing she says before opening her two-parted door and shutting in behind her.

Jade sighs and, before fixing the pancakes for herself, decides she needs coffee. In her attempt to speak minimally to her grandmother, she'd completely forgotten to ask how to work the machine sitting on the counter. Compared to the Keurig she has back at home, this thing looks completely foreign to her. "I'm Jade," she tells herself, strapping her hands onto the counter as if to be at some kind of war with this machine. "I can figure this out."

Less than five minutes later, she lets out a loud groan and fights the urge to throw the pot across the room. "God_dammit_!" She screams, after having failed a tenth (fifteenth) time. Before her pride can stop her, she storms outside and spots the work boy. He's mowing a different part of the lawn now, but he isn't facing her. She pauses: _Shit, what was his name? ...Ben? Brett?_ It comes to her in a minute.

"Beck!" She yells from the porch. "Beck!"

For whatever reason, he's still mowing. Not stopping—not hearing her? _Beck is his name, right? _"Beck!" She screams again. _He must have headphones in, goddammit._

Jade marches straight off of the steps and over to where the work boy is mowing, and promptly taps him hard on the back.

"Woah," he suddenly says, and when he pulls the headphones out of his ears Jade understands that at least he wasn't ignoring her. Beck powers off the lawnmower and turns around to see her. "Oh. Hey, Jade." He smiles and—_Wow, was he this attractive yesterday. No, no__—__focus, Jade!_

"I need coffee," she tells him blankly.

"There's a machine insi—"

"Yes, I'm fully aware. And it's sent from Satan."

He fights off a laugh. "You...want me to help you?"

"If you're not too busy, what with your decapitation of a million grass blades."

This time Beck doesn't hide his smile, because this girl is funny in a way he's never encountered before. "I think I can make some time," he tells her, and fixes the lawnmower so that it can stand on its own before following her into the kitchen. He stares at the (very basic) coffee maker on the counter in front of them, and then looks at her. "Have you never used a coffee maker before?"

Jade rolls her eyes. "I use a Keurig, the only machine that makes sense."

Beck knows what she's talking about; the prison he used to visit weekly with his mother to see his father had one of them. It was a fancy way to make coffee, he remembers, and surely nothing his parents would ever spend money on.

"Alright, well, this one's pretty easy." He walks her through the four simple steps necessary to start the machine, and by the time he's finished, Jade can smell the beginning of her cup of coffee being made.

"Thank god," she grumbles.

He smiles. "I'm going to get back to work. See you later, Jade."

By the time she realizes she should probably thank him, he's already out the door and she's missed her chance. Something, though, about the way he says her name was just enough to through her off her game. When her mother says it, it's in a yell. When her step-father says it, it's in a frustrated sigh. When anyone else says it, it's usually one of the two of those things.

Beck says it like honey. He says it sweetly, like he's happy to have the word on his tongue. He says it like he knows her—even though he doesn't—which she thinks should bother her, but it doesn't.

She likes how he says it.

That's the part that bothers her.

Two days later, Georgia is cleaning the table from the lunch she'd made for she, Beck, and Jade, when her granddaughter walks past with a book. "Oh, Jade," she calls out, stopping the girl in her tracks. Jade lets out a sigh and turns to face Georgia.

"Hmm?"

"I talked to Dr. Bradley Dunne, Burley's local veterinarian, at the market the other day, and he said his receptionist is leaving for summer vacation. He told me he'd be happy to have you take her place and work the front desk for these next few months."

Jade's blue eyes blaze as she glares at her grandmother. "I am _not_ working."

Georgia doesn't seem fazed by the twist of attitude at all; her granddaughter has no idea that Anna was twice as worse as Jade. "You're sixteen. You're old enough to have a job; for Christ's sake, Beck is your age and he works nearly all day long, Monday through Friday. Your mother's agreement with me was that if you live here, you work."

"Oh, so my mother put you up to this."

"Jade—"

"It's as if the two of you are putting your hatred for each other aside to team up and make this the most miserable summer of my life. I'm not working."

"First of all, I don't hate your mother—"

"Save it," Jade snaps. "Don't wait for me for dinner!" She calls on her way out the door.

Georgia shakes her head as her front door slams behind her granddaughter. "Wouldn't even if you wanted me to," she mutters.

Beck, busy watering the front flowers, turns his attention to Jade, who is suddenly storming out towards the gate. She has a book in her hand and nothing else, so Beck's not sure where she plans on going, but she marches all the way off of the property.

He has to admit, the girl has a spirit.

.

"It'll just be three days a week." A lady older than Georgia and with gray, curly hair, hands Jade her name tag-which the younger girl tosses in the trash can as soon as she can. "Amy comes Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Dr. Dunne doesn't work on the weekends unless there's an emergency."

"You should get here around nine. You can ask for your lunch break whenever you want it, and you're free to go by three."

"Awesome." Jade's voice is dripping with sarcasm, but the older woman, Maggie, interprets it as genuine.

Jade officially has a job—well, an easy, part-time job—and now her summer sucks even more than she'd initially thought it would.

On the second Monday since her arrival, after the table has long been cleared from dinner, Jade is laying on her bed sketching an idea for a new painting. She's stuck, deciding between two directions in which she could take the piece, so she sets her pencil down.

Though she won't admit it, Jade loves that the bed in her room has a window view. In Los Angeles, to be able to see the stars is nothing more than wishful thinking. Here, though, the sky is clear as a perfect picture. She can see every tiny twinkle, and the moon is close and big enough to shed some light through the window into her room.

As she stares at the window, she's flooded with memories from the last time she was here. Anna hadn't known that then-ten-year-old Jade had been sitting in the living room, reading a book, when she'd had the distressed phone conversation with Georgia. The older woman was complaining that she hadn't seen her granddaughter in four years, and the last time had only been because of her husband's funeral. Georgia demanded that Anna come to Idaho with Jade, or at least send Jade up to visit.

At the time, Jade barely knew her grandmother. She'd seen her a few times that she could remember, but one thing she knew for certain was that her mother couldn't stand the older woman. Jade never knew why. But, regardless of Anna's hatred, she put her ten-year-old daughter on a plane into the tiny Burley Municipal Airport, where Jade spent two weeks out of her summer with Georgia.

Never in her life could the fourth grader remember ever being in a place like Idaho. She had grown up in California, born and raised. She hadn't seen such a small town, where people owned so much land and everyone was so friendly (and nosy), ever in her short life. Georgia treated her like a princess; she made the best breakfasts every morning, bought Jade a bicycle to get around the town and property with, and allowed her to ride her favorite horse that her grandmother owned.

God, she loved that horse.

She'd never even seen a real one before, so the sheer size of animal was enough to startle her. Georgia owned four horses, but Jade had her eye on one of them from the very beginning. She was a Bay horse, with a chocolate coat of body hair and jet black mane and tail. Her name was Charisma—and Jade was obsessed with her.

"This one's a bit difficult," Georgia had informed her granddaughter as Jade ran her hand through the horse's mane. "She'll take off if you let her, so I've always got to be careful with keeping her inside the pen. She's my prettiest one, though," she added with a wink. Jade hadn't cared that Charisma was typically terribly behaved; she adored her. And from the first day she met her, she wanted to see the horse every day.

It's the thought of Charisma that makes her move her sketch pad to her nightstand and slide off her bed. She pulls on a pair of jeans and a faded Elvis Costello t-shirt, and then slips into her red Doc Martens. What she does next is something that, to even her own surprise, involves little to no hesitation on her part. After switching off the lights and shutting her bedroom door, she walks across the hall to where she knows Beck is staying. She knocks twice, and when he answers she has to take an extra breath.

He's wearing loose, dark grey pajama pants and a white tank top that shows off the muscles in his arms. "Oh. Hey," he says, and smiles that stupid, infuriating smile that reaches his creamy brown eyes and looks more genuine than that of a kid with a sugar cookie.

"You know where the stables are, right?"

If he's surprised by the fact that she skipped her part of the greeting altogether, he doesn't show it. "Yeah. Why?"

She waits a second, before, "I want to go."

"Now?"

"Yes."

Jade watches his mind reel, but he still hasn't put the pieces together in his head. _Stupid boy._

"I need you to come. I don't remember where it is," she clarifies. There's also no way in hell she's walking, _alone_, all the way across this enormous property in the middle of the night—but that's not a reason she'll share with him.

Beck is about to ask why on earth she has a sudden urge to go to the horse stables at midnight, but he reminds himself that it's a chance to get to talk to this girl. And while he has no plans on opening up to her about his life, he's not exactly in a place to turn down a new—and beautiful, might he add (and funny and smart and now he's getting carried away)—friend.

"Okay. Give me a second to put some clothes on."

"I'll meet you outside in five," Jade replies, and walks away from the door to make her way down the stairs. When Beck appears in jeans and a t-shirt, he closes the door behind him and starts walking alongside her.

They maintain a silence that lasts about five minutes before Beck breaks it. "So, is there a reason we're walking out to the stables at midnight?" There's no vinegar in his voice whatsoever, only genuine curiosity.

Jade sighs; this boy had ruined her plan to not talk to him. "The last time I came here, I was ten, and my favorite thing about this place was the stable. I want to see if Charisma is still there."

"Oh, Charisma," he says in acknowledgement. Jade's eyes open towards him and he smiles. "She's here. Stubborn and troublesome as always. Two days ago, she bucked up and knocked over an entire barrel of hay. She's a pain in my ass, but she's beautiful."

"That's the horse I remember."

After another few silent minutes, it's Jade who speaks again. "So why are you here, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how did you end up in the middle-of-nowhere, working for Georgia? Aren't you, like, seventeen?"

"I am." He pauses, and Jade hopes she hasn't struck a nerve that will make things awkward between them, seeing how they'll be stuck together all summer. "It's kind of a long story, but I needed a job and place to stay, and she offered me one here. Your grandmother saved my life."

Jade gives a single nod. She doesn't reply because she doesn't know how, but Beck speaks again anyways.

"California, right?"

"Born and raised," she answers.

"Must be nice." He sticks his hands in his pockets as they walk. "I've heard the weather there is fantastic, and I've always wanted to go to the beach."

"Los Angeles is overrated, but it's better than this place. I can't believe I'm stuck here for the summer."

"At least you're away from your parents," he points out.

Jade looks at him strangely for a second, as if he'd said something out of line. He really doesn't know her, after all. But then she shrugs her shoulders and nods. "That's true."

When they arrive at the stable, Jade watches him unlock the wooden door and slide it open. He flicks on the light switch, illuminating the bulbs that hang over each of the four horses' stables. "She's the second one on the left," Beck reminds his companion, who promptly walks over to see the animal awake and standing.

As soon as Jade's presence is clear to the horse, Charisma walks over to the gate of her stable. She sticks her neck out over the half-door to be groomed by her visitor, and Jade begins softly petting Charisma's face. "She's huge," she says, turning to look at Beck.

"She's pregnant."

Her eyes widen for a second and she returns her attention to the mare. "Can she still be ridden?"

"Yeah, definitely. Tomorrow, if you want."

"Okay."

They head back after ten minutes, and they're walking through a patch of trees when—out of nowhere—a small animal darts right in front of them. It scares the life out of Jade, who backs up into Beck, who gently grabs onto her hips to pull her back in an instinctual impulse.

The two teenagers stay like that for less than five seconds before Jade regains her stamina and Beck sheepishly drops his hands back to his sides.

They don't say anything for the rest of the walk home. Beck wonders why it feels so natural to have wanted to protect her. Jade can still feel the tingling on her skin from where his hands had been.

Neither one of them wants to forget about it.

.

**Thoughts?**


	3. Chapter Three

.

**Chapter Three**

.

By the Monday of Jade's second week in Burley, she's developed somewhat of a routine in her new environment. Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, she works from the morning until early afternoon. When she comes home, she paints, reads, or plays the piano in the living room downstairs. Tuesdays and Thursdays are mostly filled with those same three things, in addition to exploring her grandmother's land and visiting Charisma.

It's late that Monday afternoon when she settles into a chair on the back porch with _The Help_. When she looks up for a quick second, she sees Beck busy planting a new row of tulips. Without so much as even meaning to do it, Jade finds herself staring at him. He works so gracefully and so carefully, as if he had a personal connection to each dirt-covered bud. He's not reckless or bored even for a minute; he's diligent, and she's fascinated. So fascinated, really, that she doesn't even notice that Georgia has come out and is standing beside her.

"That must be a pretty interesting book, huh?"

Jade tears her eyes away from Beck and tries to act like she hadn't just been watching him. She'd heard the teasing in Georgia's voice; a rather sarcastic wit runs in the family. Jade doesn't answer the question anyways.

"Want some lemonade?"

"Sure."

Georgia nods and sets two glasses down on the little table beside her granddaughter. As she pours from the glass pitcher, she calls Beck over to come get some. Then, as if she knows exactly what she's doing, she walks back inside without another word. Jade rolls her eyes and bookmarks her page before closing it and setting it in her lap.

"Mind if I join you?"

She looks up to see Beck standing in front of her.

"Nope."

Beck smiles (how does a simple shape of his mouth do this to her?) and plops down in the chair next to her. He takes one of the glasses of lemonade for himself and sips at it slowly. "So," he starts, "you never did get to ride Charisma the other day."

It's true. After what had happened on the walk back from their midnight trip to the stables, they hadn't even mentioned the word _horse_. It's been as if the entire trip never happened. And if Jade was being honest, she didn't know if she was more disappointed in not getting to ride Charisma or in trying to force herself not to think about how his hands had felt on her body.

"No, I didn't," she agrees.

"Do you still want to?" Beck blurts out quickly.

"Yeah."

"How about today? As soon as I'm done with these flowers, I'm headed out to feed the horses anyways. Come with me."

She stares at him, studying his expression, for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay." Jade thinks that if they keep this eye contact up for long, she's going to burst, so she turns her head back down to her novel and picks it up again.

"What are you reading?"

Her heart skips a beat, so she doesn't look up. "The Help, by Kathryn Stockett."

"Is it any good?"

Now her eyes meet his. "I like it so far."

"You read a lot, don't you?"

"And you ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Her exasperated tone has no effect on Beck, who simply smiles bashfully. "What makes you think I read more than any normal person?"

"Well," he explains, "two things. First, you've only been here two weeks and you're already on your second book. Second, you've got a better vocabulary than—well, than anyone I know."

Jade wills herself not to blush and takes a sip of her lemonade to cool off. "I like to read," she replies simply.

"One day, I'll read more. I've just never had the time."

"That's a shitty excuse. No one has _time_."

Beck has had a job of some kind or another since he was eight years old; if anyone has an excuse, it's him. But he's not about to tell her that. Instead, he gives her a lopsided grin and sets his empty glass on the table. "Well, maybe you can read for me sometime." He stands up from the chair. "I'm going to finish off these tulips, and then we can go out to the stables."

"I'll be here."

"Okay."

It takes Beck fifteen minutes to finish his the row of flowers, and then he motions for Jade to come down from the deck to join him.

"So, how's the job going?" He asks as they begin the walk.

"It's...not as horrible as I thought it would be."

"Is it your first one?"

Jade grimaces. "Yes, and hopefully my last until after college graduation. My mother's just doing this to punish me."

"She's that bad, huh?"

"She's just annoyed with me. She wanted to enjoy her time this summer with her husband and her Grey Goose, so I'm _here_. It was this or take classes at a community college in Riverside."

"Well," Beck offers, as optimistically as possible, "this can't be too awful. I know you and Georgia don't get along well, but the horses are here."

Jade looks up at the stable and sighs contently. "True."

"Alright then, let's get you saddled up."

Thanks to Beck's physical strength and Jade's level of comfort with the horse (seeing as neither of them has both of those assets), she's mounted Charisma within ten minutes.

When Beck walks away from her on the horse, Jade whips her head to glare at him. "You're not leaving, are you?" Her tone has more fear than anger, which isn't how she wanted to sound but definitely conveys how she feels.

"No, no," he promises. "Just grabbing the walking rope." Beck fastens one side of the lengthy, thick rope to Charisma's bridle and holds the other side tightly in his hand. "Ready?" Jade nods, giving him permission to begin walking. Charisma follows Beck's steps (and the rope) until they're safely into the square-shaped pen. Beck looks up at his companion. "You good?"

Jade hesitates. "Stay with me for one lap." And then, "Please."

"Sure." He starts tracing the circle of the pen, and Charisma, surprisingly, follows obediently. "I'm not riding, anyways."

"Really?"

"Nah. I'm not a big fan of horses. They actually, kind of, freak me out."

Jade laughs out loud and Beck feels his bones light up. "They freak you out?"

"Yes, they do! They're massive; one kick could kill me!"

"You're a wuss."

"I have common sense," he corrects her.

"If that's what you call it." They finish the lap and Beck moves to unfasten the rope.

"You sure you're good on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Worst case scenario, she kills me and I don't have to spend my summer here, right?"

Beck makes a face and she grins. "Not funny."

"Go feed the animals, _wuss_."

"Yell if you need help," he reminds her with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah."

Georgia makes sliders for dinner, which both teenagers eat quickly after having built up an appetite from their day. "So, Jade," the matriarch says, "at the risk of you marching your ass out the door again..." Beck chuckles under his breath and Jade rolls her eyes at him. "...I need a little favor from you."

Jade raises an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow, Beck is re-painting the stable. The paint is old and chipped and it looks terrible, and it's a job that's needed to be done for a while. Since you don't have work tomorrow, I'm sure he would appreciate the help. It needs at least a few coats; it's definitely a day's job."

Jade looks at Beck, who meets her eyes, and she decides it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to spend the day with him. "Fine."

"Fantastic. I'll have the paint and out and ready for you two by tomorrow morning."

True to her word, six buckets of white paint sit on the front porch by nine o'clock the next morning. After breakfast, Beck and Jade, both donning old t-shirts that can get dirty, make their way outside. Beck loads each bucket into a wagon, and the two start their walk to the stable.

"I heard you playing the piano last night," Beck tells her. Jade's cheeks flush pink and she doesn't look over at him. "You're really good."

"Thanks."

"I play guitar. Well, I used to. I don't have one anymore."

"How come?"

Beck shrugs. "It broke, and I haven't gotten around to buying a new one."

"That sucks."

"Yeah." He grins. "At least I get to hear you play, though."

Jade sighs and looks up at him. "I have a boyfriend," she informs him, a bit reluctantly.

"_Aaaand_ I had a dog once." He looks at her oddly while doing a terrific job of masking his disappointment. He knew he wasn't lucky enough for a girl as pretty as Jade to not be taken by someone else.

"Don't give me that look," Jade argues. "I know flirting when I see it."

Beck smiles coyly and scratches the back of his head. "You're even smarter than I thought." Jade doesn't answer, just keeps walking. "So, what's he like? Witty? Brilliant? Reads Edgar Allen Poe for fun?"

Jade rolls her eyes and watches Beck entertain himself. "I don't know. He's... He's different. Actually, that's a terrible word to use for him. He's not different from anyone; he's identical to about five of his friends."

"Ah, the typical California boy."

"How do you even know what a typical California boy is like if you've never been?"

"Jade, please. I've seen a third of an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 on my mother's TV." She actually laughs, meaning he's been successful, so he continues. "Blonde, blue-eyed, wears Hollister. And he's probably a surfer."

"You got three out of four."

"So you're into brunettes," Beck quips playfully, and Jade grins.

"No, he's blonde as they come. But Jordan wouldn't wear Hollister if his life depended on it."

"Abercrombie?"

"Lacoste."

"Ah. Preppy boy."

"You and your stereotypes."

"What can I say, Miss West? You ruined my idea of a typical California girl; these are the only ones I have left."

They arrive at the stable and Beck opens two cans of paint. They agree to start on a certain side together, more for the facility of conversation than for productivity's sake. "You'd hate him," Jade decides. Beck knows he would for the sheer fact that he's _her boyfriend_, but he's curious to know why she thinks he would.

"Why?"

"I don't know; I just know you would. His dad owns the Lakers, so he'll never work a day in his life. His hobbies are surfing and spending money."

"So, why are you dating him?"

She shrugs. "He asked me out at a party a month before school got out. I was drunk and said yes, and I would end it, but 'dates' with him are a perfect excuse to get out of my house. My mother loves his mom, so she never has a problem saying yes to anywhere I go with Jordan. Who knows, though? He was so pissed about me coming here for the summer; we got in a huge fight before I left. He's probably cheated on me with at least a few girls in these last two weeks."

"Huh. My stereotypes were right; California kids are weird."

"Shut up."

He grins and continues painting at his much faster rate than her.

"And you? No girlfriend with that mop of hair you've got? I thought girls are supposed to go crazy for hair like that."

"Never had one," he answers honestly, and then smiles. "One day, though, someone will appreciate this _mop_ for all it's worth."

"Mhmm. One day."

"It's true. Besides, don't I fit the stereotype for the perfect man? Tall, dark, and handsome? I might also add that I plant a mean garden of flowers."

"Yeah," she laughs, "you're a dream. You can also add that you look ridiculous with a spot of white paint on your cheek."

"What?" Beck palms his cheek and pulls it away to see a splotch of paint on his hand. Jade bursts into laughter and Beck frowns. "I just made the spot bigger, didn't I?" She nods, still laughing, and Beck shakes his head. "Well, if it's so funny, I guess you wouldn't mind having a matching one, would you?" Jade sobers instantly as she watches him come at her with a paintbrush. Her jaw drops as he paints her cheek white, but he's grinning like a fool as he does it.

"Oh, you've done it, now." Jade grabs her paint bucket and chases after him with the brush, threatening to get him back. Before long, they're slinging paint back and forth and have managed to get each other covered.

Jade shrieks when Beck grabs her from behind and gets her shirt even whiter than it already was. When she turns in his grip to get him back, she finds herself unintentionally locked in his arms, face to face with him. They stare at each other for a few seconds, her hands on his chest and his around her waist, until he drops his arms and takes a step back.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's..." Jade runs a hand through her hair and looks him up and down. After a few seconds, she starts laughing all over again—so Beck gazes down at his painted self and joins her.

They don't finish the stable until dinnertime, but the job is done and Georgia is happy with it. When the table is cleared, Beck goes upstairs to get ready for bed, while Jade lingers in the kitchen. Her grandmother, dyed dark brown hair tied up in a bun as she hand-washes a plate, looks over at her.

"I'm assuming you're not still here because you want to help me wash dishes."

Jade looks at her wryly. "I think I've had enough work for one day."

"So you're here because you actually want to _talk_ to me?"

"Don't be so dramatic."

Georgia scoffs, and then chuckles at her granddaughter. "You're one to talk." Jade rolls her eyes, but gives the woman a conceding smile. "So, what's it about?"

The sixteen-year-old pauses. "I wanted to ask you about Beck."

"What about him?"

"Well, I don't know. I just think it seems strange. He's seventeen, in a random town with no family or friends, living with practically a stranger."

"I wouldn't call myself a stranger to him."

"But when you met," Jade explains. "Do you know his parents?"

"I don't even know their names. I've asked him about his family before, right after he moved in." Georgia sets another dry dish in her clean stack. "All he said was that he was better off without them than with them."

Jade's eyebrows pull together. "So he ran away? Is he some sort of refugee? What if his parents are looking for him?"

"He came a long way to get to Burley; if they are, they're sure as hell going to have a hard time finding him."

Jade stands in her spot, letting her mind reel, for a few more seconds before finally deciding that Georgia really doesn't know any more than she herself does. "Alright, well. Goodnight. Thanks for dinner." She turns on her heel to walk towards the stairs, and Georgia calls after her.

"Hmm?"

"Be kind to him. I know you don't owe him—or me—anything, but Beck has been living here long enough that I know he's never experienced a household like this before. I don't know this, but I get the feeling he's been through some pretty rough stuff."

Jade's eyes linger on her grandmother's for a few more seconds, and she nods. "Okay."

On Thursday, Georgia gives Beck the day off. He'd spent the entirety of Wednesday pulling weeds, and she decided that the boy was more than deserving of a lazy day. In an (admitted) attempt to spend more time with Jade, Beck asks her to go fishing with him on the lake in the back of Georgia's property. Her thirty acres borders the Snake River, and an offshoot of the water spews into a decent sized lake.

"Fishing? I don't fish."

"I know," Beck chuckles. "But you can watch me do it, and then maybe you can try." Jade raises her eyebrows and he smiles warmly at her. "Come on; it's relaxing. You could use some relaxing."

"I prefer to be productive," she informs him.

"That's exactly why you should relax. Jade, I don't think I've seen you be _unproductive_ since you got here. Be lazy for a day."

She sighs and raises her hands on her hips. "Fine. I'll go. But I am not touching a fish."

After lunch, Beck loads his fishing gear into the truck Georgia had lent him to use while he's staying with her. As he's pushing up the door of the truck's bed, he sees Jade come outside onto the porch. She has her black Doc Martens on, as well as jean shorts and a black tank top that shows off just the right amount of cleavage. Beck is pretty sure she's not purposely trying to torture him (especially since she'd mentioned the thing where she has a boyfriend) but that doesn't make it any easier not to stare at her chest.

Once he and Jade are both in the car, he starts off for the back of the property. Beck fidgets with the radio before landing on a station playing something he's satisfied with. His mind, he realizes, has to have something to think about other than how good Jade looks in that tank top.

Meanwhile, amidst the silence, Jade is tempted to ask him about what she and Georgia had discussed last night. She hates that she feels like he knows so much more about her than she does about him. Desire aside, though, it's no secret to her that he seems so guarded. By her measure, his closed-off nature signals that he's either hiding something or trying to protect himself. He's obviously running from something, she thinks, but she's not even sure she wants to know what.

Except that, deep down, she really does. Maybe it's to know that there's someone out there even more screwed up than _her_. Maybe.

"So," Beck says as he parks the truck about fifty feet away from the lake, "this is Lake Eleanor. I asked your grandmother what it's named for, but she said that—other than a rumor that it's for Eleanor Roosevelt—the name is completely random."

"And this is the very back of Georgia's property?"

"Well, technically this is past her property. This is public land, but I've never seen anyone out here. I guess it's kind of like a little hidden secret." Beck smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "You ready?"

"I guess so."

"Great! Let's go."

After grabbing the fishing pole and bait bucket he'd bought, Beck pulls the paddle boat out of the trunk. He drags it over to where the lake meets the shore, and Jade crosses her arms over her chest.

"Do I really have to do this?"

"You told me you would," he says, his voice hopeful.

"Okay," she sighs. "One hour max."

"Aw, come on. Two."

"One."

"Two, and I won't even _ask_ you to try fishing."

"We'll see."

"I'll take that as a deal."

Beck offers his hand to help her into the boat, and he watches as she carefully sits down across from him. He paddles a few strokes to get them out into the water, and hums contently once they're floating with ease.

"So, tell me stuff."

Beck's statement has Jade raising her eyebrows, which makes him smile. "Stuff about you. All I know is that you read and you drink your coffee like your grandmother."

"She takes it black," Jade corrects. "I add two sugars."

"Ah, which I'm sure makes all the difference in the world."

"It does, actually," she retorts.

Beck smiles. "I still want to know other things."

"You know plenty about me. I don't even know your last name."

"It's Oliver." It's a lie, but it sounds good and it's what he'd chosen in lieu of endangering himself (and not to mention Jade and Georgia).

"Beck Oliver. It's catchy."

"I think so, too." He takes his fishing pole and prepares the bait on the hook, and then casts it into the water.

"So, Beck Oliver, how long does it take for one of your stupid fish to bite the hook?"

"Anywhere from two minutes to half an hour. Just depends on how hungry they are."

"Half an hour?" Jade shrieks, and Beck puts his hand over her mouth to shush her. She shakes it off and wipes her lips. "What was that for?"

"You'll scare away the fish," he explains. "The point of fishing is to be quiet, relaxed. See, it's no big deal if we have to wait half an hour for a fish to bite, because we get to enjoy the peacefulness of just being out on the water."

"You are so weird."

"Well, what do you do for fun over in California?"

Jade takes a deep breath of the fresh air, something she has to admit is a luxury coming from Los Angeles. "I don't know. If I tell you that most people I know spend their free time surfing, shopping, and drinking, you'll say that they're all _stereotypical California kids_."

"They are," Beck says, which makes Jade roll her eyes. "But, you're not most people. I want to know what Jade West does for fun."

"You know what I do. I read, paint, and play piano."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

He nods thoughtfully. "I like that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean...you're different. You are who you are and you don't apologize for it. It's refreshing."

Jade doesn't reply because, well, she's too busy staring at him. Him, Beck, this boy who—despite the fact that he's extremely guarded of himself—is so completely unafraid of telling her exactly what he likes about her. She's never had someone be so honest and real with her, and, if she's being honest, it's a turn-on.

She doesn't know how long they hold eye contact for. His brown eyes don't move until a tug comes from the other end of the fishing line, pulling both of them out of their staring contest.

"I think we've got a bite." Beck picks up the pole and begins reeling until the fish comes out of the water. When he pulls it in, he quickly detaches the hook from the squirming fish's mouth and tosses the animal back into the water.

Jade gives him a confused look. "Wait, what the hell is the point of fishing if you're not even going to keep the fish? Don't tell me you dragged me out to this lake—"

"Lake Eleanor," he interrupts.

"_Lake Eleanor_—just to catch fish and throw them back in."

Beck laughs. "That one was just small. Fish are only worth keeping if they're big enough to eat. Otherwise, there's no sense in killing them."

Jade watches as he re-baits the hook and casts another line. "Where are you from?" She asks before she can stop herself.

He looks up at her and swallows. "Phoenix."

Jade studies his expression for a few seconds. "You're lying."

"What?"

"You're a bad liar. Where are you from? And why are you lying to me about it? We're friends, aren't we?"

Beck's heart skips a beat. "We are?"

Jade suddenly feels her cheeks flush and she looks away from him. "Whatever," she says quickly.

He pauses. "I'm from Oklahoma."

She focuses her eyes on a bright green leaf floating in the water. "So, why are you here?"

It's quiet for a few seconds, but a pulling on the fishing line prompts Beck to turn his attention to the biting fish. While he begins to reel it in, he shifts his weight backwards and Jade panics at the tilt of the boat.

"Wait, why are you leaning?" Jade asks frantically, leaning the opposite direction.

"No, Jade, don't rock the boat—"

"You're the one leaning—"

"I'm trying to pull the fish—"

And then suddenly neither one of them is yelling anymore, but Jade is screaming, and the boat has tipped too far towards the left.

Beck surfaces first, and Jade follows seconds after. After he rubs the water out of his eyes, he uses the force of his body to push the boat back over.

"Oh my god," Jade pants. "This water is freezing!"

"I'm working on getting you out of it," Beck reminds her as he hops back into the boat. Jade swims over to where his hand is stuck out for her and, thanks largely to his help, pulls herself back inside.

"I'm soaking wet! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Me? What did I do—"

"You leaned over for the fish and rocked the goddamn boat! And now all of your stuff is gone and my clothes are completely drenched and—"

And suddenly her chatty lips are preoccupied, because he's pressed his own mouth against hers.

She's shocked at first, but his lips are warm and her clothes are cold and, really, she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to kiss him back. She blocks out all other thoughts for the brief moments as she opens her mouth for his tongue. Since he's leaning forward, she leans in towards him to intensify the kiss. When she reaches her arms around his torso to pull his body closer, the boat tips again and he pulls away.

Slowly and carefully, he sits back into his seat across from her. His body is on fire and Jade's lips are tingling, and the silence that sets makes her worry that they've just created a huge awkwardness between them.

"Well," Beck says, meeting her eyes, "I guess Georgia won't be getting the fish I promised her for dinner."

Jade's lips crack into a smile and he begins to chuckle. "How are we going to explain this to her?"

"What? That we're soaking wet or that we managed to lose all of the fishing gear?"

"I don't know," she laughs. "All of it."

"We should probably just dry off, I guess."

So they do. And for an hour, they lay in the boat and let the sun dry their clothes, hair, and bodies. They make small talk, occasionally, but mostly they're just surprised by now easy it is to be quiet together.

When Beck paddles them back to shore, he helps her out and then loads the boat back into the trunk. By the time they're both inside the car, they're mostly dry and still laughing about a joke Beck had made ten minutes prior. As he closes the driver's side door, a silence hits again and they're staring at each other.

"Kiss me again."

Beck blinks twice to make sure that he isn't imagining the words. He lifts his hand to her cheek and she doesn't flinch, so he leans in and kisses her. It starts off slow, but then her hands are in his hair and his arm is pulling her body towards him. Without so much as giving it a second thought, she hooks her leg over his lap and ends up straddling him.

His hands slide to the spot where her jean shorts meet her tank top and she can feel his fingers on her skin. Without meaning to, she's pressing her body against his and sliding her palms up and down his chest. She has no idea how much time passes before she finally pulls her swollen lips away from his.

"What the hell are we doing?" Jade rests her forehead against his and tries to catch her breath.

"I don't know. I can't say I want to stop, though."

She rolls her eyes and ignores the smile that graces her lips by kissing him again. "We still have a few hours until dinner. How do you want to spend your day off, Oliver?"

He doesn't even bother taking his eyes off of her lips. "Honestly?"

"Shut up," she chuckles, and pushes on his shoulder.

"I was trying not to lie." Jade looks at him sideways and he shrugs. "I don't know. We could... We could go into town and get ice cream."

"Yeah," she nods. "Ice cream sounds good."

"But, first, we could kiss for a little longer." He leans in again and she kisses him back.

"Mhmm," she agrees against his mouth. "That's better."

Around three in the afternoon, Beck parks the truck in a lot near the town center. He fights the urge to hold Jade's hand because he doesn't want to push her boundaries, but he doesn't hesitate to open the door of Sam's Scoops for her.

He orders chocolate and she gets Oreo, and they sit together at a bench outside to eat it.

"Yours looks better than mine," Jade decides, after about ten minutes.

"I told you that nothing beats chocolate." He teasingly continues licking his scoop rather than offering her a bite, so she pushes the cone off to the side of his mouth. Ice cream slathers his cheek and she grins proudly. Before he can wipe it with a napkin, she kisses it off of his face.

"Mmm, mhmm." She licks her lips and sucks the rest of the ice cream from his cheek. "I was right. Yours is definitely better."

Beck spends the next five minutes covering the bulge in his pants. And, while he tries to distract himself with thoughts other than her, his mind is really all just JadeJadeJadeJadeJade.

Later that night at dinner, neither one of the teenagers has clued Georgia in on the events of their day. They'd been vague when telling her what they'd done, and were doing everything they could to resist playing footsie under the kitchen table.

"So, it looks like we'll be having a visitor this weekend."

Beck continues eating as usual, but Jade's head shoots up. "What? Who?"

Georgia gives her a wry look. "Your boyfriend called. He wants to come up to Burley see you."

* * *

**Thoughts? ;)**


	4. Chapter Four

.

**Chapter Four**

.

"Jade. Jade, come on let's talk about this."

Much to Beck's chagrin, the girl in front of him does not stop walking. Despite his protests, she makes it all the way down the hall to her room, where she closes her door in his face. Beck's shoulders drop and he sighs. After a few seconds, the doorknob jiggles and he lifts his head just as Jade is opening the door.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

"Can we talk about this? Please?"

Jade shrugs after a minute of silence. "I don't even know what to say. My boyfriend, whom I just cheated on, is coming all the way out here to Burley, Idaho, to see me. I have no idea why he is, and, quite frankly, I don't even know if I want to see him. And I _really_ don't know why I'm telling you all of this."

"We're just talking," he assures. "We're friends; you can tell me stuff."

"We are not friends," Jade clarifies, walking further into her room to pace the floor. Beck follows her and sits on the end of her bed. "We are... I don't know what we are, but we're not friends."

"How come?"

Jade turns on her heel to glare at him. "_Friends_ go see movies together. _Friends_ talk over coffee. _Friends_ do not have impromptu make-out sessions." Beck blushes and Jade continues pacing. "This is not happening. What the fuck makes him think it is okay to ambush me like this? He could have told me that he wanted to see me, rather than calling my _grandmother's_ house."

"Jade, you threw your phone across a dirt road. I don't think texting you was an option," he reminds her dryly.

She shoots him a look. "What, are you on his side, now?"

"Side? There are sides? You're dating him! And for the record, a guy would have to be crazy to be even a little bit excited about the idea of meeting a girl's boyfriend."

"Well I'm in an even more awkward position! Jordan is going to flip shit when he finds out I'm living under the same roof as another guy his age. He's going to make a big deal of it and I'm going to have to assure him that 'it's no big deal' and that 'you're not a threat,' when in actuality—"

She cuts herself off and Beck stands up from the bed. "When, in actuality...what?"

Jade stares at him, and he's close enough that she can smell him and it's driving her crazy. Her eyes gaze over his arms and his lips, and the fact that she knows exactly what it's like to be held in them and to be kissed by them is making all of her thoughts blur together.

"No," she says suddenly, stepping away from him. "I can't."

"I wasn't going to ask you to," Beck promises. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, Jade. I don't want to be the reason you're stressed or that you have problems with Jordan. Get some sleep, okay?" He leans over to drop a kiss to her forehead and her entire line of vision spins. "Goodnight."

He walks out of the room, and Jade sinks down onto her bed. She finds herself wishing that he was still here, and then her mind starts replaying the day they'd spent together. She re-envisions how he'd touched her and kissed her and how his arms felt when they were wrapped around her body. And then she remembers how her boyfriend is going to show up at the door in two days.

"Fuck."

.

She doesn't touch him even once on Friday. She can't. Beck understands where she's coming from, but it doesn't stop him from crushing on her. He catches her staring at him while he works a couple of times, and when he accidentally touches her arm while they're setting the table for dinner, he sees the effect it has on her.

Saturday morning, Jade descends the stairs to find Beck making waffles in the kitchen. While she's dressed for the day, he's still in boxers and a t-shirt. She makes her way to the counter, where a fresh pot of coffee awaits her.

"Morning," Beck says, as she's stirring in her two sugars.

"Hey."

"What time does he get here?"

Jade takes a sip of the steaming coffee and sighs. "His plane landed ten minutes ago, so probably in half an hour or so." She turns to lean against the counter and watch him finish making a golden brown waffle. "Beck?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't..."

"I know. I won't."

She nods. "Thanks."

"Want a waffle?"

"I want that one that you just made," she tells him, pointing at the fluffy waffle sitting on the plate. "It's perfect."

He grins. "All of my waffles are perfect. Take it; it's yours."

Jade does as he says and takes her seat at the table. Just minutes after she finishes her breakfast, a yellow taxi cab pulls through the gates of Georgia's property. Jade gets up from the table and, after dropping her plate in the sink, heads outside to meet Jordan.

Beck, unable to control his curiosity, scrambles to the window to get a view. Jordan, much like Jade had described, is exactly how Beck pictured that he would have been. He's tall—about as tall as Beck is—and considerably more muscular. As soon as he's standing, he moves to wrap his arms around Jade. When he leans in to kiss her, Beck tears his eyes away and turns around to face opposite of the window. He doesn't notice that his fists are balled up and his knuckles have gone white until he lets out a deep breath and relaxes his hands.

"Fuck."

Meanwhile, Jade watches as her boyfriend hands the taxi driver his fare in cash. "I can't believe this town doesn't have Uber," Jordan says as the cab drives out the gates. "I had to catch a taxi from the airport to take me to my hotel, and then another taxi from the hotel to here. You'd think these people would save themselves a lot of trouble if everyone had a private driver."

"Everything in this town is less than a twenty minute walk away from any given point. Uber would sink here."

"Still, I don't even remember the last time I took a cab," Jordan points out. Jade rolls her eyes and tries not to flinch when he puts his arm around her. "I'm so sorry that you're stuck here for the summer. If I could get you out of this hell hole, I would."

Jade knows that telling him she's actually been less than miserable would only result in too many questions on his part, so she goes along with the lie. "Yeah, it's been awful."

"And what the hell happened to your phone? Your mom mentioned she cut off your service, but I thought you'd at least have wifi to contact me."

"Oh. Yeah, it broke."

"How?"

She shrugs. "Just did. Why don't we go inside?" When they do, Beck is still in the kitchen doing the dishes. He turns around as soon as the door opens to see Jade and Jordan.

Jordan wastes no time with pleasantries. "Is this the help?" He asks his girlfriend, whose eyes widen. She knows Beck's blood is boiling from that comment.

"This is Beck. He works for my grandmother, so he stays here."

"Wait a second, he lives here?"

"Yeah, I do," Beck speaks up. Despite his anger, he's dead set on being the better man, so he sticks his hand out for Jordan to shake. "Nice meeting you." He's sure that the handshake is firm enough to let Jordan know that he won't be messed with. Before the blonde can reply, Georgia enters the kitchen.

"I was wondering when our guest would arrive." She sets her hands on her hips as she eyes the boy standing next to her granddaughter.

"I'm Jordan," he says, raising a hand to wave at Georgia. Jade senses the disapproval in her grandmother's eyes, but she doesn't dare say anything.

"Nice of you to join us," she replies. "Where are you staying this weekend?"

"At the Double Tree Hotel, about ten minutes away."

"I know where it is."

"Sucks that that's the nicest one in this town, only three stars. You guys should consider getting a Four Seasons or something. I'm sure more people would visit."

"I think Burley is doing just fine, thank you." She takes a cup of coffee from the pot that Beck had made and pats his shoulder in appreciation. "You're welcome in my home," she tells Jordan, "so long as you're kind to those who live here. I don't tolerate messes or bad language, and I don't want you in Jade's room."

Jordan's eyes look like they're ready to bulge from his head, and Beck smiles. "Really, all we do here at Georgia's is breathe and drink her lemonade. Everything else is forbidden."

Georgia playfully smacks Beck's back and Jade stifles a laugh.

"Uh, no offense, Georgia—"

"It's Ms. Wilson."

"Ms. Wilson," Jordan, seemingly annoyed, corrects himself. "No offense, but I think it's kind of ridiculous that Jade and I can't be in her bedroom. She's my girlfriend."

Beck's eyebrows shoot up and Jade's face goes beat red as she wishes she could disappear.

"And she's my granddaughter. Beck doesn't take girls upstairs and Jade won't take boys. Understood?"

"He understands," Jade says before her boyfriend can stick another foot in his mouth. "Come on, let's go walk around the town."

"I don't really want—"

"I don't care," she cuts him off as she drags him out of the house. When the door is slammed shut and there are two less people in the kitchen, Georgia turns towards Beck.

"I do not like that boy."

"Really? I couldn't tell," he teases.

Georgia sips on her black coffee. "You don't go kicking his ass or anything, now."

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing." Without another word, she grabs the newspaper from the kitchen table and takes it with her coffee out to the porch.

"What the fuck was that?" Jordan sputters as they walk out of the gate. "Your grandma is crazy. And kind of a bitch, honestly."

"Okay, seriously?" Jade stops in her tracks and turns towards him. "Don't call my fucking grandmother a bitch. Not right in front of me."

"Woah, Jade, slow down. I thought you hated her. The last time we talked, you almost chose summer school at Riverside over spending the summer with her."

"Well, maybe that's because my only impression of her was from all of the shit my mom talked about her. She's actually not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Jordan continues walking and Jade reluctantly follows him. "Jade, we can't even be in your room together."

"So, what? You think you came here to get laid?"

"That's not what I said," he argues.

"Whatever. I don't want to talk about that."

Jordan rolls his eyes. "Of course you don't. You never do."

"Would you just shut the fuck up? You've been here for less than thirty minutes and you're already pissing me off. Let's just walk."

.

By three o'clock, Jade needs a break from her visitor. "I've got stuff to do, okay? Why don't you...go back to your hotel to chill for a little while. We can meet up later."

"Stuff? What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff."

"Come on, Jade, don't tell me I came all the way out to Idaho just so you could spend a few hours with me and then ditch."

"I have to go feed the horses," she tells him.

"Horses?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'll go with you."

"Thanks, but it's kind of something I like to do by myself."

"By yourself, or with that guy?"

"_That guy_'s name is Beck. And no, I told you, I like to go alone," she lies.

"Whatever. Okay, I'll see you for dinner. That is, unless you want to eat it with the horses."

Jade folds her arms over her chest defensively. "You know, for someone who hasn't seen his girlfriend in three weeks and who came to visit her, you're really being an asshole."

"Jade, I—" Jordan stops himself. "I'm sorry. You're right." He steps towards her, cautiously at first and, and then moves to wrap his arms around her waist when she doesn't object. "Just...seeing that that guy—"

"Beck."

"That _Beck_ is staying here... It kind of freaked me out. You're hot, and I'm not the only one who notices it. I don't want him getting any ideas."

Jade hates her brain for starting to replay her make-out sessions with Beck. Oh, yes, he had definitely gotten ideas.

"Nothing is going on between me and Beck. We're friends." _Friends_, she thinks. _Uh-huh_.

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Good." He leans down to kiss her, for all the people Jade has kissed in her life, she realizes that Jordan ranks number two out of two.

"We eat dinner at seven, so just come by then."

"You're sure you don't want to just come back to the hotel with me now?" He traces kisses down her jaw and to her neck. "I can think of a few things that are a lot more fun than feeding horses."

Jade swallows the nausea she feels come up her stomach and palms his chest to pull his face away. "Later," she lies. "For now, though, I really should go. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Alright," Jordan sighs. "Let me catch you a cab home."

"I'll walk."

"What? No, that's—"

"I'll walk. It's fine." And with that, she turns away from him and begins the walk back to Georgia's house. When she walks back through the gates, a sense of relief washes over her in knowing that she doesn't have to see Jordan for four hours. It confuses her, because she doesn't know when she became so resentful towards him. But nevertheless, she's just happy for her freedom.

She first enters the house to see if Beck is inside, but when she notices that he's gone she starts her walk out to the stables. "Hello?" She asks aloud as she approaches the freshly painted barn.

"Hey." Beck walks out to see her and smiles when he notices that she's alone. "Where's Jordan?"

"He went back to the hotel for a little while." Beck wants to ask questions, but he stays out of it because he knows it's not his business. "How are the horses today?"

"They're good. Charisma looks even bigger today than she did yesterday, if you can believe it. I waited to feed her in case you came, since I know you like to do it."

"Thanks," she says as she walks inside to see her favorite horse. Charisma is laying in her stable, resting her pregnant belly. "Is she okay? She looks tired."

"She probably is. She's ready to have those babies any day now. I've never been pregnant, but I've heard it's not the easiest task." Jade smiles and Beck hands her a bucket of hay. "I don't think she's up for going to eat in the pen with the other horses, so if you want to, you can let her eat in her stable."

"That's probably best, right?"

"Yeah. Besides, she loves you. I'm sure it'll do her some good to have you sit with her and give her attention." Jade nods and enters the stable to feed the horse while Beck tends to the three others. "So how's it been with Jordan? Did he like the town?" While he doesn't want to seem overly eager, he can't help the itch he has to know what she's been doing.

"It was fine. I don't really want to talk about him, though."

"Okay. How was work on Thursday? I feel like I didn't get to see you much Friday, so I didn't ask."

Jade wonders what she did to deserve having someone in her life who is seemingly genuinely interested in what she does. "It was good. Mr. Robinson brought in his dog's new puppies to get their shots, which was fun because I got to play with them."

Beck grins. "How many are there?"

"Six, and they're all adorable."

"What breed are they?"

"Dalmatians. I swear to god, I've never seen little balls of fur so cute in my entire life."

"Jade West thinks something is cute. This is worth remembering."

"Shut up."

"I'm serious!"

Jade shakes her head and finishes feeding Charisma the small amount of hay that the horse would eat. "Hey," Beck says, "I found something cool yesterday while walking around the grounds. Want to see it?"

"Is this a ploy to get me to hang out with you?"

"Is it working?"

"Yeah," she laughs. "It is. Let's go."

She follows him out of the stable and they set out to Beck's surprise destination. When they arrive, Jade sees the swing set that she used to play on when she came to Georgia's as a kid.

"Holy shit. This thing is still here?"

"You know about this?"

"Yeah! I loved this thing when I was little."

"Well, it still works. I tested it out yesterday. Get on, I'll give you a push."

Jade wants to object, but there's something about Beck that makes her want to cherish her youth rather than try to grow up fast, as she's always been forced to do. She sits down and kicks her feet against the grass to get herself going, and he stands behind her and pushes enough to keep her swinging.

"I feel like I'm six," she confesses.

Beck laughs and continues pushing anyways. "Good."

They stay at the swing set for an hour, until both of them agree to walk back to the house to get ready for dinner. As expected, Georgia is not happy about the fact that Jordan is joining them for dinner.

"I invited him; you told me to yesterday."

Georgia continues spicing her roasted potatoes. "That was before I met him."

"I told you he was different."

"Yeah, well I didn't know different meant asshole."

"Look, I know he's not the nicest—but he's here, and I already told him he could come over. So he's coming."

"Why are you even dating him, anyways? You're the prettiest sixteen-year-old I've ever seen; don't tell me that boys don't fall at their damn feet for you."

"Spending time with him means spending less time with my mom and Mitch."

"So he's your excuse."

"So what if he is?" Jade fills up the four glasses of water on the table.

"Nothing. It's your life, not mine."

"If you have something to say, just say it."

"Well, I just think you can do better. And I think you deserve better. But I'm not telling you anything you don't already know."

_Ding-dong_.

Beck comes down the stairs and Jade goes to the door to answer her boyfriend's ring.

"Hey, hot stuff. You look good." Jordan leans in to kiss her and Jade turns it into a quick peck. "What are we eating?" He asks as they walk into the kitchen.

"Grilled salmon," Georgia answers his question.

"Sounds delicious," Beck chimes in as he takes his seat. "Did you make your famous potatoes, too?"

The matriarch nods proudly. "I did."

Once all four people are seated at the table, an uncomfortable silence befalls them. The only noises made for a solid five minutes are those of forks and knives against the plates. Finally, Georgia forces herself to make conversation with her guest.

"Jordan, what are your plans this summer? Any jobs or vacations planned?"

"Definitely not a job," he laughs. "I'm too busy for one."

"Busy? With what?"

"Well, I surf every morning after hitting the gym." Jade looks embarrassed, but she bites her tongue in lieu of speaking. Beck stays quiet, and Georgia looks bemused. "And then I've just usually got things to do. A job doesn't fit into my schedule."

"I see. Did Jade tell you she's working?"

"She did not." Jordan raises his eyebrows and looks at his girlfriend. "You got a job? A real one?"

"Is there such thing as a fake job?" He doesn't reply. "Yes, I got a job. I'm a secretary at the local veterinarian's office."

"So what," he laughs, "you just check in kitties all day? Make sure none of them pee on the floor?"

"Actually," Beck answers for her, "that's not what secretaries do at all."

"Beck—"

"No, really. I'm just informing him." He turns back to Jordan. "She takes care of all of the paperwork for Dr. Dunne, including payments and medical records of the animals. She's good at what she does and she's really needed at the office."

Georgia is hiding her smile in her glass of water and Jade is blushing pink for what seems like the hundredth time that day.

"Jade West, working a job. Who would have thought?"

"You can drop it now, Jordan. Yes, I have a job, and I'm not spending every waking moment working out or laying on a beach like you."

"It's what you'd be doing if you were in California for the summer." She glares at him and he shrugs. "Just saying."

"The salmon is delicious, Georgia," Beck changes the subject.

"Thank you, darling."

When Jordan goes home to his hotel that night (after, of course, complaining about how she wouldn't go back with him), Jade doesn't know if she's more angry with him angry with herself for not ending things with him earlier. She still hasn't figured out why he's in Burley, but she already can't wait for him to leave.

On her way to her room, she passes Beck's open door and sees him sitting on his bed. She stops in the doorway and bites her lip. "You don't need to defend me. I can stand up for myself perfectly fine."

He looks up at her. "I know you can. But you don't always have to." When she doesn't reply, he smiles gently at her. "Night."

Jade sighs and returns to her room.

The next morning, Beck wakes Jade up with a rough shake of her arm. She pushes her sleeping mask up and her sleepy vision blurs.

"What the—"

"Jade, it's me. Damn, you sleep like a rock. Listen, Charisma is having her foals." This makes Jade shoot up in her bed. "She's started to go into labor," Beck tells her as she rubs her eyes to see better. "I already told Georgia and she called Dr. Dunne. He's on his way. I thought you'd want to know."

"Yeah," she nods. "Yeah, let's go."

Beck moves so that she can slide out of bed. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

She mumbles a thank-you of sorts and he leaves the room while she throws on a bra underneath her t-shirt and replaces her pajama pants with jean shorts. Within two minutes, she meets Beck at the bottom of the staircase and they begin briskly walking out to the stables.

The morning chill is still present in the air, and Jade curses herself for wanting to be wrapped up in Beck's arms. The funny thing is that she doesn't feel bad about it because she's technically dating Jordan—she feels bad about it because she wants to be solely focused on Charisma right now.

When they arrive at the barn, Dr. Dunne's sedan is pulled up outside of it and he and Georgia are in Charisma's stable. "How is she doing?" Jade asks them.

"She's alright. Not great," the veterinarian answers her. "Jade, why don't you come sit beside her head and groom her a little bit? Your grandmother told me how much she likes you; I'm sure that would help her relax."

Beck gives her a reassuring nod and she enters the stable to sit by Charisma. "In about twenty minutes or so, she should be ready to push these twins out," Dr. Dunne informs the other three.

Over the course of those twenty minutes, Charisma's condition worsens. She's moving slower, and Dr. Dunne admits that there isn't anything he can do until the foals are out of her belly. When Charisma births the first one, Beck helps pull him out and then clean him. Georgia helps with the second one, and she works with Beck to help the babies stand on their hooves.

Meanwhile, Jade is paying little attention to anything they're doing because she's so worried about Charisma. The horse's breathing has slowed and Dr. Dunne is doing everything he can to keep her energy up.

"Why isn't she moving?" Jade asks, her panicky voice attracting Beck and Georgia's attention to her. "Dr. Dunne, what's wrong with her?"

"She's in shock," he answers as calmly as possible. "Jade, I—"

"No. No, don't say it. She's fine; she's going to be fine. She's a strong horse. She always has been." By this point, her voice is cracking and Beck has made his way over to her. Charisma's eyes are closed and her breathing has slowed to a stop, and Jade is frozen still.

"Jade," he says softly, after a minute has passed. "Let's go outside, okay?" She slumps back against his leg, so Beck helps her stand up and walk out.

"I'm sorry, Jade. I'm so sorry." Without a word, she turns in his arms to cry into his chest. "It's okay," he whispers. "I'm here. I'm right here." Beck rubs his hands across her back and Georgia comes out of the barn.

"Beck, sweetheart," she says softly, "why don't you take Jade back to the house? Bradley and I will take care of things here." He nods and, before Jade can object, he lifts her into his arms bridal-style to carry her home.

When they walk into the living room, Beck sets her down on the couch and sits next to her. Forgetting about everything except for what she _wants_, she lays her head in his lap and lets him run his fingers through her hair.

After half an hour passes by, the doorbell rings and Jade lifts her head to see Jordan out the window. She gets up to answer it and swings the door open.

"Hey, hot stuff!" Jordan grins and pulls her into a bear hug, which Jade doesn't return. He fails to recognize the fact that her face is stained by tears, but that doesn't surprise her.

"I'm sorry, I don't... I don't feel like doing much today."

"What? Why?"

She shakes her head and sighs. "My horse—my favorite horse. She died this morning. She had her foals and then she died."

"Oh. Man, that sucks."

Jade gives him a disbelieving look and then lets out a humorless laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, it does."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No. You don't have to say anything else. I'm going to go for a walk."

"Can I come?"

"I'd really rather be alone. You can stay here. I won't be too long."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." She walks out the door then, leaving Jordan and Beck alone in the room. The blonde walks over to the living area and sits on the chair diagonal from where Beck is on the couch. Beck says nothing to him, and chooses instead to continue reading the daily newspaper.

"Do you have a problem with me?"

Beck lowers the paper and looks at Jordan with a tired expression. "I don't even know you."

"I feel like you've got a problem with me. And maybe that's because you're threatened by my relationship with Jade—I don't know." Beck scoffs, and Jordan ignores him. "But, whatever it is, you should know that I don't give two shits what some guy from Idaho thinks."

Beck doesn't reply, so Jordan continues. "Do you like my girlfriend? Is that it? You've got a crush on her?"

"Dude, what are you talking about? You don't know me. I don't know you. Jade and I are friends." As soon as the word comes out of his mouth, he realizes how right Jade had been about it. He and Jade aren't dating by any means, but they're definitely not just _friends_.

"Friends. Uh-huh. Well I think—"

"Shut up." Beck drops the newspaper and stares a stunned Jordan in the eye. "It doesn't matter what you think. If you care about Jade at all, what matters right now is how much she loved that horse, and the fact that Charisma is gone. That's what matters. That's what's on her mind right now. So please—shut up."

Jordan looks like he's coming up with a reply, but then Georgia and Dr. Dunne come through the front door and he keeps his mouth shut. Beck rises immediately and makes his way over to them.

"She's gone," Georgia tells him. "A team of Brad's guys came and picked her up in a trailer. They'll bury her outside of town."

Beck nods solemnly and Dr. Dunne pats his shoulder. "Thank you for your help today with Jade, son. She needed you." Behind them, Jordan's eyes are narrowed and his heartbeat is escalating—but no one notices him.

"Where is she?" Georgia asks.

"She went for a walk. I think she just needed the fresh air."

"Poor thing."

"Do me a favor," Dr. Dunne chimes in as he runs a hand through his salt and pepper hair, "tell Jade not to come into work this week. Let her heal. I'll ask Amy if she can come in Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. No worries."

"Oh," Georgia sighs contently. "Thank you, darling." She pats the vet's back lovingly and moves to the kitchen. "Let me make us all some coffee, hmm?"

Beck wants to politely decline, and instead tell Georgia that he wants to go look for Jade to check on her, but with Jordan standing within earshot there's not much he can do. Since the blonde has settled for sitting on the chair again, Beck takes a seat at the kitchen table and enters a low-key conversation with Georgia and Brad.

For the entirety of that Sunday, Jade manages to avoid alone time with Jordan. He's been overly touchy-feely with her and it's irritating her to the point of no return. Unfortunately for her, alone time becomes rather inescapable after dinner time. Once Georgia goes off to her room and Beck goes upstairs to his, Jade and Jordan are left alone on the couch downstairs.

"Let's put on a movie," she suggests, and flips to a channel that's playing Forrest Gump. Jordan puts his arm around her and wiggles so that there's hardly any space between them.

"You smell good," he tells her, ten minutes into the movie, and kisses her hair. She doesn't reply, but he continues kissing down until he reaches her neck.

"I really, actually, like this movie," she tells him. It's a lie, but she's not in the mood for what he is.

"Come on, hot stuff. I just want to kiss you. I've barely kissed you all day." He kisses her lips, then, and Jade feels nauseous again. When he slides his hands down to her lower back, she flinches and pulls away.

"Stop. I just want to watch the movie. Please."

"Seriously? You always do this; you always stop it before we can do anything. I'm your boyfriend. I just want to be with you," he says, kissing down to her breasts.

Jade pulls his head up. "Is this why you came here? To try to have sex with me?"

Jordan looks embarrassed but he quickly covers the expression with a more sensitive one. "No, of course not. No."

Fifteen minutes later, he tries again. She kisses him back, in hopes that this will be the last time to appease him, and she doesn't even notice Beck coming down the stairs. While he goes to get a glass of water, he tries to swallow the sick feeling in his stomach.

"Okay, that's enough," Jade tells the blonde, whose hands have begun to snake up her shirt. "Seriously, stop. Stop, Jordan." This draws Beck's attention, but when he looks over, Jordan isn't stopping. Instead, he's pushing her down into the sofa and moving to be on top of her.

And then Jade's body goes limp and she stops fighting him.

Because it's too much. The feelings and memories come back and they numb her mind and her limbs. She's frozen and terrified.

That's when she feels Jordan's body being ripped off of hers. It takes her a few seconds, but she manages to sit up and pull her shirt back down in time to see Beck standing there. His fists are clenched and he's shaking with anger and he's staring crossly at Jordan.

"What the fuck, man—"

"I'm not going to hit you," Beck tells him. "But if you don't get out of this house in the next ten seconds, I'll make you wish you had."

Jordan turns around to look at Jade, who looks simultaneously horrified and scared. Without another word, Jordan storms out of the house and Beck turns around to check on Jade. She's scrambling to stand up, and, humiliated, she runs upstairs to her room.

The door of her bedroom slams shut just after the front door does the same. And then Beck is left alone, standing in the living room, still shaking.

"Fuck."

* * *

**H8 to be cliché but more reviews = more writing ;)**


	5. Chapter Five

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**Chapter Five**

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Two days pass by after Charisma's death, and Jade has barely left her room. She refuses to talk about the horse or what had happened with Jordan—so Beck's attempt to ask her what her strange, motionless reaction to her (now ex-) boyfriend's actions meant completely fails.

Jade, for her part, is content to be sad. She sits in her bedroom, working on her painting of Charisma, and only usually comes downstairs for meals. Georgia is worried sick, which is why, when Beck offers a proposition, she's quick to give her approval.

On the third day of seeing Jade in her misery, Beck comes home in the afternoon with something new. He walks upstairs to her bedroom, where her door is creaked open and she's on her bed reading.

Gently, he sets the two-week-old Dalmatian puppy down inside the room.

The puppy, much to Beck's surprise, doesn't make any noise or even move towards Jade at all. He silently sniffs the floor around him, and Jade doesn't even notice his presence. Beck pushes open the door a little more to stand in the doorway and clears his throat to get Jade's attention.

She looks up and her eyes go from Beck's face to the tiny puppy at his feet, which is when she gasps. This startles the animal, who then backs up into Beck's leg. He laughs and scoops the puppy into his arms, and then walks over to sit on her bed.

"I thought maybe when I set him down, he'd get excited and run over to you, but I guess he's a shy little guy."

Jade's eyes widen and she sets her book to her side. "He's mine?"

"If you want him. I cleared it with Georgia, so I went to Mr. Robinson's house and asked if he might, by chance, be looking to find a home for any of the pups. And I ended up with this guy."

She's looking at him in disbelief, as if it were unfathomable that anyone could ever do something like this for her. Beck sets the puppy in her arms, and she wills herself not to tear up. The dog instantly cuddles against her chest and she laughs and looks up at Beck, who has that same, lopsided grin on his face.

"Thank you," she says, pulling her eyes away from her new puppy for just a few seconds to meet Beck's eyes.

"I know this doesn't totally fix the pain of losing Charisma, but I just thought maybe this would help because, well, dogs are cute, and I know you mentioned how much you loved Mr. Robinson's puppies and—"

"Beck," she cuts him off.

"Yeah?"

"I love him. Thank you."

Beck smiles and they both look back down at the puppy in her arms. He's sniffing her shirt, so she sticks her hand out for him to smell and feel.

"I should probably go to the pet store to get him stuff. Do you want to come?"

Beck's face lights up and Jade knows she doesn't regret asking him. "Yeah, I do."

By the end of their hour-long trip at PetCo, Jade's basket (which is being pushed by Beck) is stocked and Beck is looking at her amusedly. "So, uh, how are you planning on paying for this?"

"My mom set up my checking account a while ago so that she could put money on my card that would entertain me. One time, when she was drunk, I convinced her to give me access to my trust fund." Beck raises his eyebrows. "I know. But I'm responsible. Other than a few emergency shopping sprees, I haven't spent a penny of it."

"And this, of course, qualifies as an emergency," he adds. "After all, what would little Atticus do without his—" Beck pauses to pick up one of the many items in Jade's basket— "Doggie Digital Camera...?"

"First of all," Jade says, "this is so practical! You attach it to his collar and it can take pictures from his view!" Beck looks at her sideways and she rolls her eyes. "And secondly, we are _not_ naming him Atticus."

Beck almost asks about her usage of 'we' rather than 'I', but he decides to leave it as is. "Aw, why not? Atticus is the name of my favorite character from the last book I read."

"Atticus _Finch_?"

"Yeah," he says hesitantly, suddenly worried that he had gotten the wrong character's name.

Something tells Jade that asking him if the last book he'd read is _To Kill a Mockingbird_ will only end in his embarrassment, seeing how most people read that book at the age of twelve or thirteen. She doesn't know if that means he hasn't read a book in four years or if he's a slower than average reader, but she keeps her mouth shut regardless.

"He's my favorite, too," she says instead. "But I don't like the name for a dog." They arrive at the check-out counter and Beck begins unloading the contents of the cart.

"What a precious puppy!" The woman behind the counter coos. "He looks brand new!"

"He is," Jade replies, petting the dog's soft fur.

"Is that one of Joe Robinson's new puppies?"

"Yes, ma'am, it is," Beck answers proudly. "He was looking for homes for them, so we happily took this guy off his hands."

"Well, I might have to get one myself. He's just precious."

Beck smiles and Jade swipes her card to pay for the items, and the two of them head back out to the truck for the trip home. When they walk through the front door, Georgia is busy watering the plants on the window above the kitchen sink. She turns around to see Beck and Jade walk through the door, and grins at the sight of them.

"Look at this little puppy." She walks over to them and carefully takes the dog out of Jade's arms. "Oh, you're such a cutie!" She kisses his face and strokes his head. "Alright, you two," she says, more sternly as she addresses the teenagers in front of her, "let's talk rules. If the dog pees in the house," she begins, and both of them let out a breath of relief, "you two are in charge of it."

Georgia continues with a few more house rules for the dog, and then hands him back to Jade so they can take him upstairs. While Beck holds him, Jade unpacks their new items from the pet store. After grabbing a few toys, they head outside to find a soft spot in the grass to sit down in.

"He needs a name," Beck points out as Jade sets him between them in the grass.

"It can't be cliché, like Domino or Spot. That's stupid."

"Agreed. Why don't we play with him some and see what his personality is like?" Beck takes the bone-shaped rope and wiggles it towards the puppy's mouth. "Here, little guy."

The dog sniffs it and promptly decides he's not interested. "What about this?" Jade asks, holding a squeaky chew toy in front of him. She pushes on it and it makes a squeaking noise, causing the puppy to jump backwards. When he does, he trips over his feet and rolls backwards, sending Beck and Jade into a fit of laughter. "Oh god, poor guy. He's a klutz."

Beck grins and puts him back on his feet, and then holds out a soft, noiseless, plush tennis ball to the puppy. He shakes it in front of his little face, and then throws it five feet in front of him. "Go get it, bud!"

The puppy eagerly runs after the ball, but gets so excited that he races past it and then trips again on his effort to turn around. By the time he gets back to the ball, he sniffs it a few times and accidentally hits it with his nose. The ball rolls over, and the puppy quickly scampers back into Jade's lap. "We should name him Coward," Jade teases, and cuddles the dog close to her.

"What if we named him something after that's not cowardly?"

"Like?"

"Like... Tiger. He could be a little Tiger."

"Tiger? Beck, a blade of grass could scare him. Besides, I don't think it's exactly normal to name a dog that will have a hundred spots after something with _stripes_."

"Yeah, but normal's boring."

Jade thinks for a minute and then lifts the dog to be at her eye level. "Alright. Tiger." She kisses his head and sets him back down. The puppy crawls over to Beck, who picks him up and puts the ball back to his face.

"Look, Tiger." He dangles the plush ball in front of him and then throws it. "Go get it!"

Tiger takes off running and fumbles over the ball before finally landing in front of it. When he still doesn't understand the concept of picking it up in his mouth, Beck crawls over to him and helps him wedge it into his jaw. "There you go! Now run back to Jade!"

Between Beck's pointing and Jade slapping her legs to get the puppy's attention, Tiger manages to understand what he's supposed to do. He runs over to Jade and crashes clumsily into her legs, so she picks him up and cheers for him by kissing his face. "Good boy!"

And Beck realizes that, for the first time in since before Jordan came, Jade is smiling. It's even better than he thought it would be.

That night after his shower, Beck knocks on Jade's cracked door. When she calls for him to come in, he pushes the door open and sees her in her bed. She's sitting up, and using one hand to hold a book and the other to stroke her sleeping puppy. When she looks up at Beck, she pushes her glasses onto her head and gives him her full attention.

"Hey," he says softly. "I just wanted to make sure you're all good with him."

"Yeah. All good here. You jealous that he's sleeping with me?" Right after she says it, she realizes the double entendre in her words and instantly blushes. "Not because _you_ want to sleep with me," she stammers. "I mean, because, I figured you'd want him to sleep with you. In your bed. Obviously."

He grins, because something about seeing this girl—who is always so put together and eloquent—stumble over her words is just adorable. She's still blushing, and he's not even sure that she knows it.

"Yeah," he answers her original question simply. "I am jealous. Goodnight, Jade."

"Goodnight."

Seconds after he's left and she's trying to catch her breath, he reappears in the doorway. "Oh, by the way: if you need to take him outside in the middle of the night and don't want to go alone, just wake me up."

"No, Beck, it's—"

"Seriously. Wake me up."

Jade hesitates, but then nods, and then finds herself almost hoping that her puppy will have to pee sometime in the next eight hours.

Three days after Tiger has joined their lives, Beck is busy organizing the tool shed. Since Jade is still on her week off from work, she's sitting on the floor of her room with Tiger. They're playing with his favorite toy, the plush tennis ball, and Jade is trying to help the puppy get the hang of the game of fetch. It still seems that, unless Beck is there to pick up the ball in his own mouth and visually show him, Tiger doesn't get it.

On top of that, Jade is bored. She's spent the last three days with Beck and Tiger, and, without having to go into work or having Beck to hang out with, she feels more lonely than she has in a while—which is why she finds herself carrying Tiger downstairs and walking with him out to the tool shed.

Although she had bought a leash at the pet store, she hasn't had to use it yet. Tiger's only walks have been on Georgia's property, and, even then, he won't stray more than two feet away from her or Beck. That is, unless he's running to go get a ball they'd thrown, after which he comes sprinting back and usually tumbles into their legs.

When they reach the tool shed, Jade knocks on the wall to get Beck's attention. As soon as Tiger spots Beck, he races over and Beck picks him up before he can crash. "Hey, little guy," he laughs as the puppy bites playfully at his hand. "Someone's excited."

"I thought I'd come see how things are going," Jade says, leaning against the wall.

He grins. "I'm glad you did. How's your morning been?"

"Honestly? Kind of boring. I thought maybe, once you're done with this, you might want to help him play fetch? He still doesn't get it."

"I'd love to. The only other thing I have to do today is go out to feed the horses."

She nods, steps further inside, and hops up to sit on a construction table. "Until you're done, mind if I keep you company?"

"That would be great." Beck sets Tiger down on the floor so he can play with his ball, and gets back to work. "So, I was thinking about maybe getting a job," he says as he moves to organize the power tools.

"A job? Don't you have a job?"

"Well, yeah. I've just been thinking lately that I need to make some money. I mean, don't get me wrong, working for Georgia is fantastic. She saved my life, and I want to keep working for her. But, if I don't eventually start making real cash, I'll be dependent on her forever."

Jade nods in understanding and looks down to check on Tiger. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Anything I can. I'll work at a mechanics shop; I'll be a bagger at a grocery store; I'll—"

"No," she interrupts, "Beck, I mean: what kind of job do you want to have? Like, one day? For a career."

Beck doesn't answer, and laughs to himself for a second before turning to face her. "You'll think it's stupid."

"Aw, come on. Tell me."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Alright. Well, I want to... I want to be a musician. And I don't care if I never make it to be super famous. I just want to play at a coffee shop, or something. You know? To be a regular performer at a coffee shop. Does that make me sound stupid?"

Instead of giving into his insecurity, Jade just looks at him amusedly. "The coffee shop should have books," she adds. "Lots and lots of books. A whole wall. And people can just check them out and read them anytime they want."

Once Beck realizes the game she's started, his heart beats faster and he continues with it. "Dogs would be allowed. The coffee shop should even sell dog treats."

"I'm thinking you should just own this coffee shop. That would be more fun."

"Okay," Beck agrees while he wipes the shelves clean. "I own it. So: books, dogs, and music. What else?"

"You're only missing one thing."

He grins. "Art?"

"Yup. You have to have a big mural on one wall. And then twinkling Christmas lights surrounding the stage area. Paintings everywhere, too. And rugs. Every homey coffee shop needs good rugs."

"It sounds like the perfect place," he admits. "But you'd have to help me run it. You'd be good at that."

"What makes you think that?"

"You're smart and creative, the perfect combination for someone running a coffee shop. Plus," he adds without looking up from the shelves he's cleaning, "no one says no to a pretty girl."

"Shut up."

"I'm just being honest," he laughs, and then notices that Tiger is at his feet. He scoops him into his arms. "Don't you agree, Tig?" Beck kisses the puppy's head and Jade doesn't know if she's ever seen something so sexy.

It takes another hour of work, but the shed is cleaned and organized and Beck is proud of it. He walks with Jade and Tiger out to the stables, where Jade hasn't been since Charisma's death. Before she can say that she doesn't want to go in, Beck speaks.

"Hey, one of us should probably stay out here to hold Tiger. The horses would definitely freak him out."

Jade nods, wishing she had the chops to thank him, and he sees the relief in her eyes. She picks up the puppy to hold in her arms and he snuggles into her chest. "I'll be done soon," Beck promises, "and then we can work on his fetch game." He smiles and reaches over to pet Tiger's fur playfully, and then heads into the barn.

While Jade sits with Tiger in the grass, she watches Beck lead each of the three horses into the pen. He dumps their hay and vitamin supplements into their feeding buckets, and then fills their trough with fresh water. Sad as it is, Jade is glad that she doesn't have to see Charisma's new foals. The Bay horses, which look exactly like their mother did, had been given by Georgia to an old friend who offered to provide full-time care for them. Without a mother to feed from, the twins would require much more care to ensure they receive the proper amount of nutrition.

When Beck returns after having finished his job, he finds Jade laying in the grass with Tiger on her stomach. He looks down at her and grins. "You look comfortable."

"I am. It's nice to just lay."

"Look at you!" Beck sits down next to her. "You're learning how to relax!"

She hits his shoulder and he moves to lie next to her. They don't say anything for a few minutes, and Beck is more tempted to make a move than he ever has been with her. The funny thing is, although they've kissed, he's never held her hand.

And he wants to.

Really, really badly.

Just as he's getting the confidence to grab the hand that lies a mere two inches away from his own, Jade turns her head towards him. "So, what do you say we teach the clumsiest dog in the world to play fetch?"

Beck snaps back into the moment and nods. "Let's do it."

"Alright, Tig." She sits up and places the puppy at her feet. "Let's try this again." When she throws his plush ball, Tiger scampers after it and ends up rolling over the toy and causing Beck and Jade to burst into laughter.

"Look!" Beck gets the puppy's attention and picks up the ball in his own teeth. When Beck drops it, Tiger wrestles it into his own jaw and looks up at Beck expectantly. "Now take it back to Jade!"

"Come here, Tiger!" Seeing her, the puppy takes off in that direction and ends up back in Jade's lap after running into her legs. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't know how to stop himself," she laughs. "He just runs until he crashes."

Beck chuckles and pats his knees for Tiger to come back over. When he does, Beck has the puppy drop the ball in his hand. "Let's see how he stops if there's nothing to run into." Once he knows Tiger is watching, he fakes throwing the ball so that the dog chases after it.

Tiger keeps running for about twenty feet until he rolls over his legs and tumbles forward. "Yep." Jade nods her head. When Tiger gets back up onto his feet, he looks around to see that the ball is nowhere in sight. "Come here, Tig!" She calls to her puppy, who goes running back towards her. She drops the ball in front of him and he's ecstatic, wildly jumping around the toy until he can get it back in his mouth. When he does, he runs over to Beck and delivers it proudly.

"Good boy!" Beck takes Tiger into his arms and scratches him all over like the puppy loves. "Now we just have to teach you how to stop running without falling over yourself." He rubs some dirt off of Tiger's ear and laughs. "You need a bath, too."

"Yeah, I haven't exactly done that yet," Jade tells him.

"Let's go put him in my tub. He'll love it."

"Or the water could totally scare him," she points out.

"Yeah, but a bathtub is better than a hose."

Twenty minutes later, they're running cool bath water in Beck's tub and both of them have their feet in. Once they've filled it just slightly, Jade sets Tiger down and he panics. "Oh, no. It's okay. It's okay, baby." She picks the whimpering puppy right back up and sets him in her lap to cuddle him. "I should get in with him," she tells Beck.

"In your clothes?"

Jade shrugs. "I'm kind of already wet." Slowly, she slides into the tub with Tiger in her arms, and he's still frightened by the water. "It's okay. Shhh." She looks up at Beck. "Hand me his ball."

Beck gives it to her and she puts it in front of Tiger for him to play with. The puppy, having remembered their game from earlier, puts it in his mouth and then looks around for Beck. "Come here, boy!" He calls, but Tiger just looks at him sideways. Without thinking twice, Beck hops into the tub to sit across from Jade. Tiger instantly runs over to him, seemingly forgetting about the water under his paws. "There you go! See, bath time isn't so bad."

Jade grins as Beck begins wetting the puppy's fur to start cleaning him. She pulls out Tiger's dog shampoo and squirts some into both her and Beck's hands, and both of them wash him with soft massages.

Beck looks up at Jade and laughs. "Think we're going to have to do this every time we bathe him from now on?"

"Oh, hell no. But if we do, we're wearing swimsuits."

"Can you imagine Georgia walking in to see both of us in the same tub in our swimsuits? She might pass out."

Jade chuckles and stands up to get out of the tub, after which she sits on the mat and waits for Beck to join her. When he does, they carefully dry the clean puppy with one of Beck's towels. As they sit together, shoulder-to-shoulder against the bathtub, Beck pets (a now very calm) Tiger.

Jade, almost without hesitation, leans her head on Beck's shoulder. He gets chills that he hopes she can't feel, and stays quiet with her for a minute. Until,

"Jade?"

She lifts her head to look up at Beck, and he kisses her.

It's not like their previous kisses, which had gone from soft to heated within seconds. Their hands aren't roaming each other's bodies because he's holding Tiger, but she manages to pull her hand up to his cheek.

When they pull away, Jade leaves her palm against his skin.

"I've wanted to do that again since the last time I did."

She doesn't know what to say, so she kisses him again and rubs her hand back into his hair. This time, Tiger lets out a sleepy snore that causes both of them to break apart, laughing quietly.

"Are we really doing this?" Jade asks him, once they've both sobered.

"If you're in, I'm in." He pauses. "Will Georgia kill us?"

She bites her lip. "We can't tell her."

"What? That's crazy; she'll definitely find out."

"No, she won't. We'll just...act how we always act."

"Jade, we have to tell her."

"No. Not right now. If you have any hopes of this working—whatever _this_ is—she can't know."

"Okay," he sighs. "But, eventually."

"Maybe."

Beck settles with this for now, and goes back to smiling. "If I say I like kissing you, will you hit me?"

"Yes."

"No, you won't. I'm holding your sleeping puppy." Jade rolls her eyes. "I do like kissing you." Jade elbows him anyways, and Tiger doesn't budge from his nap.

"Ha."

Two days after, Beck approaches Georgia with a topic he knows he has to discuss with her. He's been meaning to for a while—but now that he's started a relationship with Jade, he can't put it off any longer.

Jade had taken Tiger out for a walk that morning, so Beck sits at the table with Georgia and their coffee mugs.

"You look nervous," she informs him.

"I am."

"Don't be, darling. It's just me. What's up?"

Beck takes a deep breath and, when he starts saying the words he needs to say, he realizes how scarily relieving (if also terrifying) it feels to say them out loud. They talk for thirty minutes, and, by the end of it, Georgia's hand is atop his and her eyes are red from stubborn tears.

"So," he says softly, "in case I ever need to leave suddenly and I don't get the chance to explain, I wanted you to know why. I hope this doesn't put you in any kind of danger—"

"Don't you worry about that for a second." She shakes her head solemnly. "I am so, so sorry, honey. I know I sound like a broken record, but I am."

"It's okay."

"Thank you for telling me. Are you going to tell—"

"No. I would rather her not know. If you don't mind—"

"I won't say a word. This is your story, not mine."

"Thank you, Georgia. I guess, now, you can see. You saved my life."

Before she can reply, Jade comes through the front door with Tiger in her arms. "Hey, Beck, I think—Oh. What are you two talking about?" She glares at Beck and begins plotting ways to kill him if he'd broken his promise and told her grandmother, but Georgia takes a sip of her coffee casually.

"Beck and I were just talking about how he wants to get a job. Had he told you he wants one?"

"He had, actually." She breathes a sigh of relief and sets Tiger down to go to his water bowl. "What do you think about it?"

"I told him it's a spectacular idea. Any business would be lucky to have him as an employee."

Beck notices that the suspicious look in Jade's eyes is gone, and his secret is safe once more.

* * *

**Loving all of the reviews. Keep them coming ;)**


	6. Chapter Six

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**Chapter Six**

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"You should paint me."

It's late one Tuesday afternoon, a week after the conversation about starting a relationship. Jade is sitting on the back patio, painting a still-life portrait of her view of Georgia's property. Beck is on the porch swing, keeping an eye on Tiger playing in the grass. It had taken the puppy five days to realize that his squeaky, bone-shaped toy was not, in fact, going to hurt him. After the fear subsided, he had taken an absolute fascination with it.

"Paint you?" Jade doesn't stop working even as she replies to him.

"Yeah. Just my face, or something. I think it would be fun."

She snorts. "You would _not_ have fun. You'd have to sit still for over an hour; I don't even think you can do that."

"I can too!" Beck waits until she sets her paintbrush down momentarily to sneak up behind her. "Please?" He asks, as his arms wound themselves around her waist and he kisses the back of her neck. "Please, pretty please, Jade West, will you paint me?"

"Not fair," she protests (weakly, because his lips are still on her skin and she's getting chills).

"But you'll do it?" He smiles against her shoulder and she sighs.

"Mhmm." Jade turns to face him and plants a kiss on his lips. She puts both of her palms on his cheeks to pull him closer and, after another few seconds of making out, she pulls away. "What time did Georgia say she'd be back?"

"I don't remember. They just went to get coffee; it can't be that long, right? Unless, well, unless they go back to his—"

"Ew. Ew, Beck, stop. I cannot think about my _grandmother_ on a date with my _boss_."

Beck laughs and kisses her again. "Then don't. Just think about us." She shuts up then, and wraps her legs around his torso so he can pick her up. He carries her back to the porch swing and she straddles his lap. Carefully, Beck slides his hands into the back pockets of her jean shorts and squeezes gently. His hands don't move for the next minute, prompting Jade to break the kiss.

"Beck," she breathes. "You can touch me. It's okay."

Beck nods his head, but he can't help replaying what he had seen happen to her with Jordan. The way she had frozen up like a dead person scared him, and he would be horrified if he were ever the cause of provoking that reaction from her. Cautiously, he takes her words for what they are and begins moving his hands around to her stomach. He slides them up, still over her shirt, and encloses his palms around her breasts.

He shudders lightly at the sheer feel of her figure. He's never been in this position with anyone, much less with a girl that makes his head spin, and it almost doesn't feel real. Jade, for her part, is thankful for how much more gentle Beck is as compared to Jordan. Only twice had she allowed her ex-boyfriend to feel her up, and both times were unpleasant experiences with squirming and alcohol involved.

Beck is rubbing, squeezing, massaging, and Jade feels a weird kind of heat aching at the bottom of her stomach. She tugs at his scalp, lacing her fingers further into his hair, and that's when she feels him hard against her thigh.

When she breaks for air, she notices that Beck is blushing. Each of them can feel the other's quickened heartbeat, and Beck is embarrassed at the vulnerable position he's put himself in.

But then Jade laughs, and it sends a wave of relief through him because this girl that he has come to like so much doesn't hate or judge him for the part of his body that he can't exactly control. "We can stop," she tells him, and the genuine look in her electric blue eyes assures him she means it.

"I don't want to," he clarifies, because he feel like he should, "but—"

"I know." Jade lets her hands slide out of his hair and down to rest on his shoulders. "If Georgia came back..."

"She'd kill us," Beck finishes for her. He pecks her lips again and slips his fingers between hers. "Besides, I was thinking maybe Tiger's ready for his first leashed walk. We could walk into town with him and get dinner, so that Georgia doesn't have to worry about making it when she comes home."

Jade agrees, and they're walking towards town fifteen minutes later. Tiger's collar is attached to his red leash, which Beck has a tight grip on. "So," he asks, "am I allowed to hold your hand?"

Jade smirks. "No. People in this town talk; you know that. If anyone saw us, which they would, it would get back to Georgia within an hour."

"What about on our way into town? We could get a solid fifteen minutes in without anyone seeing." Beck's persistence makes her laugh, so she sticks out her hand for him to grab ahold of. He laces their fingers together and hums contently. "Yeah, this is better."

So, for fifteen minutes, they walk hand-in-hand. Tiger is excellent on his leash, and stays close to them most of the time. When they're getting close to the town center, Jade brings Beck's hand up to her lips. She kisses it and then lets him drop it back to his side.

For dinner, they choose Pickles, a dog-friendly cafe with killer hamburgers. They sit on the outside patio and Beck ties Tiger's leash to his chair. Underneath the table, he rests his foot against Jade's and she looks up at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Once they've placed their order, Jade turns back to him.

"You should work here."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, why not? You could be a waiter." She takes a sip of her soda. "You're good with people."

"I don't know," Beck hesitates. "I don't have any experience as a waiter. They probably wouldn't want to hire me."

"How hard can it be? What happened to 'I'll take any job I can get', huh?" When he doesn't reply, Jade realizes that the boy sitting in front of her has an unfortunately low amount of confidence in himself. "Beck." She puts her hand in his, ignoring the people that could possibly see them. "As scary as it is that I'm admitting this, Georgia was right in what she said about you. Any business in this town would hire you."

He smiles. "So you think I should apply?"

"No."

"What? I thought-"

"If you apply, you'll get the job. And when you get the job, we'll have even less time to spend together."

He frowns. "I know. But it's just something I have to do."

"I know," she sighs.

When their waiter returns with their food, Jade pulls her hand back into her own lap and takes one of Beck's fries from his plate. "I want to talk about what happened with Jordan," he says, earning a confused expression from Jade. "Don't look at me like that. We're—well, we're _whatever we are_, and I still find myself worrying about whatever it was that went down that night."

"What are we?"

Beck shrugs. "I don't really know. I guess, you're my girlfriend. Could I tell people that?"

"Yeah," Jade scoffs, "if you had anyone to tell."

"I do, actually."

"What? Who?"

"His name is Andre. He works at the Home Depot down the street, so I see him every time I have to go get supplies for Georgia's land. Last week, we even walked over here to get burgers."

"How come you've never mentioned anything about Andre before?"

"Well," Beck starts, but quickly cuts himself off. "Hold on. You totally changed the subject."

"Damn, I thought you were past it."

"Not even close, _girlfriend_." Jade's heart jumps and she blushes until she remembers what their original conversation had been about. "So? Come on, Jade. You can trust me."

Jade takes a bite of her burger to postpone the question just slightly further. "Nothing happened. Really. You're worrying for no reason."

"But I saw you—"

"You saw me what?" Though she poses the question for him to potentially answer, the look in her eyes and tone of her voice make Beck think twice about continuing to push the subject.

He pauses for a second more. "I just want you to be okay. You're okay since ending things with him, right?"

"I'm more than okay. Haven't you heard? I have a boyfriend now."

Beck grins and, while the itch to finish the conversation he'd started bugs him, he can't help wanting to forget about anything other than Jade calling him her boyfriend. "Speaking of that, is it okay with you if I tell Andre? I might burst if you don't let me tell _anyone_."

"He doesn't even know me; what difference does it make?" Beck opens his mouth to speak, and then closes it upon his hesitation. Jade kinks an eyebrow and narrows her eyes. "What, do you like, tell him about me?" He doesn't answer. "You talk about me?"

"Well," he stutters, "I—"

"What do you say?"

She seems intrigued, rather than creeped out, so Beck decides to be more honest than not. "Just stuff. I told him about how pretty you are and how much I like you."

"Oh, god," she groans, and Beck chuckles.

"He's sworn to secrecy, though. I promise. He wouldn't tell a soul."

"Alright, fine. You can tell him. But if it gets back to Georgia—"

"It won't," he swears. A tiny snore comes from underneath his chair and both of them laugh at the puppy, who is fast asleep after finishing the food they had put out for him.

When Beck looks back up from where he'd been staring at the puppy, he catches sight of someone and grins. Without really moving his mouth or even taking his eyes off of the guy walking towards them, Beck mumbles to Jade just loud enough for her to hear. "You're going to kill me."

Her eyes widen and she turns around to see who Beck is smiling and waving at. "Who is that?"

But he can't answer her question, because the guy is within ten feet of their table. "Hey, Andre!"

Jade swears under her breath and reminds herself harshly that this is Beck's only friend besides her.

"Look who it is!" Andre leans over to give Beck a side, bro-hug that women are always confused by. "How are you, man?"

"I'm good," Beck answers. Andre grins widely, and Beck can tell that he's about to make a comment about Jade, so he talks before his friend can. "This is Jade," he says, gesturing to the girl across from him.

"Ah, this is the girl."

"Girl? I'm the girl?"

Andre sticks his hand out for her to shake, which she does, and repeats his name. "Beck's told me a lot about you," he says, which causes Beck to blush and Jade to laugh.

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"Jade," Beck protests.

"I just want to hear what you've been saying about me," she says teasingly, and turns her attention back to Andre. Beck knows instantly that she's using that charm she has—that charm and that face she makes when she's trying to get what she wants. One of her eyebrows kinks up and she holds her bright, blue eyes in contact with Andre's and she rests one fist under her chin in a curious way.

"All kinds of stuff," Andre answers her. "He told me you're freakishly good at painting and that you're real sassy, and that you don't know how to work the coffee machine and, well, that you're really pretty. But that one I figured out for myself."

"Hey, easy," Beck interrupts.

"So you really _do_ like her." Andre chuckles, and now it's Jade's turn to blush. Beck opens his mouth to speak, but Andre shakes his friend's shoulder casually. "I'm just playing with you."

Beck smiles and runs a hand through his hair. "So what are you doing here?"

"I just got off of work, so I thought I'd come grab a burger. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention this to you yesterday. There's this bar on the strip just ten minutes from here, and I've been wanting to go."

"Bar?" Jade raises her eyebrows. "There are bars in this town?"

"Only a few good ones," Andre answers her. "This one's called The Red Bar, and apparently it's really fun on Friday nights."

"Can we even get into a bar? We're seventeen."

Andre laughs. "This town is too small for them to care about IDing. Unless you're, like, thirteen. I'm not talking about a huge night club or anything; it's just a little bar."

"I want to go," Jade decides quickly.

Andre smiles. "I like this girl."

Beck shakes his head. "Alright, I'll go. Friday?"

"Friday. We'll walk—that way no one gets stuck driving home, just in case."

"No, it's okay," Beck says, "I can drive. It'll be easier if we all have a ride."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Alrighty then." Andre turns towards Jade. "It was nice meeting you. I guess I'll see you Friday! And Beck, see you tomorrow?"

"Yep, I'll stop by," he promises.

"Great." And with that, Andre says his goodbyes and walks inside to order his dinner.

"I like him," Jade informs her boyfriend.

"Really? I mean, not that I'm surprised; he's a friendly guy and, well, my only friend besides you. But I thought you might be—"

"Beck," she laughs. "I like him. He's nice. And I like think it's cute that you told him about me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. And we're definitely going to The Red Bar on Friday night."

By the time Beck, Jade, and Tiger arrive back home, Georgia has returned from her outing with Bradley Dunne.

"There you two are. I figured you went for dinner. It's pretty inconvenient that neither of you has a working cell phone, you know. It's 2014."

"Grandma, you barely know how to use your iPhone."

"Well, at least I didn't throw mine into the dirt like it costs $5 at Walmart." Jade furrows her eyebrows and Georgia nods to the boy standing next to her granddaughter. "Beck told me."

Jade gives her boyfriend a solid elbow to the gut, and he resists the urge to get her back (which would most definitely end in him wanting to kiss her). "There was no point in keeping it around anyways. My mother cut off my service."

"So I've heard," Georgia says, and sighs.

"How was your coffee date with Dr. Dunne?" Beck asks as he pours Tiger's kibble into his little bowl.

"It was nice. And, for the hundredth time, it wasn't a date," the woman insists.

"It was definitely a date," he teases her, and Jade plugs her ears with two fingers.

"Ew, I do not want to hear about this. I actually have to see him when I go into work tomorrow, and now all I'll be able to think about is him and you on a date."

Beck laughs and Georgia rolls her eyes. "Alright, I'm going to my room to shower and get ready for bed. I'm making banana muffins in the morning," she tells them as she's turning to walk to out of the kitchen. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Beck and Jade chorus. Jade scoops her puppy into her arms and walks with her boyfriend upstairs and then into her room. She sets Tiger down, and he scampers over to lie in his dog bed. Taking both of Beck's hand into hers, she pulls him towards her as she backs up to the bed.

When she sits down, she scoots backwards until he can join her. Beck cups her cheeks and leans in to kiss her, and Jade wraps her arms around his torso to begin pulling him closer. She tugs upwards at the hem of his t-shirt, and he breaks away from her lips. "Jade, wait."

She's quiet, staring into his eyes while she lets her breathing slow. "What?"

Suddenly Beck's words die on his tongue, and everything he had wanted to say—about his fears for provoking a reaction from her similar to what had happened with Jordan—seem irrelevant. "Nothing," he says quickly, and closes the space between them. As he crawls to hover over her, though, he gets a flashback of her body, completely frozen in fear underneath Jordan's. When he pulls away again, Jade sighs.

"I'm sorry," he says, in sight of her frustration. "I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm tired, and I have a long day tomorrow, and I don't want to start anything I can't finish."

Jade wants to complain that they don't get these chances often and that they have yet to do anything further than kissing, but she decides not to push the subject tonight. "Okay."

"I do have a fun idea for something we could do tomorrow, once we're done with work."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise, but I think you'll love it."

"Ugh, you suck."

"Don't worry; it'll be fun, I promise. And we can take Tiger, too." Jade nods, and Beck kisses her again. "If I stay here, we won't get much sleep—so I'm going back to my room."

"Okay."

"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." He presses his lips to her forehead one last time, and then stands up to walk out of the room. Every bone in his body is telling him to turn around and go back to her bed and give her what she wants—to continue what they'd started. But, hard as he tries, he can't (and refuses to) ignore the voice in his head that warns him of what he'd seen just two weeks ago with Jordan.

The next day, Jade's shift ends ten minutes early when Beck walks through the door with Tiger. Seeing how excited the puppy gets at the sight of Jade, Beck drops his hold on the leash so that Tiger can run freely to her.

"Hi, baby!" Jade swings her puppy into her arms and he licks her hand and neck. Beck smiles and walks over to his girlfriend, whom he kisses only because there isn't anyone else currently in the office.

"Hi," he says, grinning. "How's your day?"

"Considering I saw you three hours ago at lunch, I'd say nothing's changed. Still good. Dr. Dunne is seeing Mrs. Jenkins's parakeet right now, and then I can go." Right on cue, the veterinarian comes strolling out of his office with his client following behind.

"It's no problem at all, Dorothy," Dr. Dunne says as he walks the woman to the secretary desk. "I'm sure little Elvis here will be just fine in no time."

"Thank you, Doctor," she replies appreciatively. She signs the papers that Jade has set out for her, writes a check, and then turns to exit the office.

"Hey, Beck!" Dr. Dunne greets his frequent visitor with a pat on the shoulder. "How's it going?"

"Everything's great," he answers with a smile. "Just here to pick Jade up."

Bradley smiles. "As usual."

"As usual."

"Well, Jade," he tells his secretary, "you're free to go. I'll see you Friday."

"Thanks, Dr. Dunne."

"For the millionth time, you can call me Brad," he reminds her, chuckling.

"Right."

"Oh, and," he calls out as the two are walking out, "you guys say hi to Georgia for me."

"Will do," Beck promises, and waves before exiting with Jade and Tiger.

"Ugh," Jade groans. "'Say hi to Georgia for me'," she mimics. "Way to make it obvious."

"Jade, he always says that," Beck says as they get into his truck. "Even before their date. He's just being friendly."

"Uh-huh. Well—" Beck cuts her off with a kiss, which she doesn't complain about. When he pulls back, he smiles against her mouth.

"I missed you." Her stomach does a flip and she leans in to kiss him again. "Are you ready for our date?" He asks, grinning as he turns on the car.

"It's a date now?"

"It always was."

"Well, I'm ready. Let's go."

Twenty minutes later, after Jade has questioned Beck's route (down dirt roads and pathways surrounded by trees), they arrive at his planned destination.

"We're at a lake."

"Yep. Lake Eleanor."

"What? I thought Lake Eleanor was on Georgia's property."

"It's a big lake. And the part that we went fishing in is only the part that borders Georgia's land. This is the other side. And if you look across and to your right, you can see the side we went to last time."

"So... Why didn't you just go across Georgia's property?"

He smiles and shrugs. "The back road was more fun."

Tiger barks at the sight of the water, and Jade gives him his ball to play with. "What are we doing here?"

"We're swimming."

Jade snorts. "I would yell at you about how there is no way I'm getting in that water, but it's useless. I don't have a swimsuit."

"Actually," Beck says, reaching into the back seat, "I brought one for you." He plops the black bikini between them and looks at her proudly.

"Beck, I'm not getting in that water."

"How come?"

"Do you really want me to list all of the reasons?"

"No," he assures her. "I already know them. But, there are no creepy animals in this water—and definitely no dolphins." She rolls her eyes. "It's warmed up because the sun beats down on it all day, and Tiger can totally swim. So you have no excuses left."

"Tiger can't swim."

"Actually, he can. We practiced on Monday while you were at work. He's like a fish! He loves the water." Jade glares at him, but he combats it with a pleading smile that he knows can work like a charm. "Please?" He starts kissing her shoulder and then her cheek, and she needs to stop him before she gets goosebumps.

"Fine. Fine, I'll go."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Yes!" Beck exclaims. "Okay, I'll take Tiger while you change in here." She hands him the dog and he opens the driver door to exit the truck.

"This is ridiculous," she grumbles as she begins pulling her jean shorts down. Beck just smiles and grabs Tiger's ball before shutting the door and leaving her to change. While he pulls off his t-shirt and shoes, the dog rolls around excitedly. Beck throws his clothes into the bed of the truck and begins walking up towards the rocks that surround the lake.

The surfaces of some of the rocks are hot, as they've been exposed to the sun all day. Others are shaded by trees, though, so Beck places both of his feet on one of the cooler ones. Tiger has run around to the side, where there's a flat entrance to the lake, and is already treading into the water.

Beck turns around just as Jade is getting out of the car. She's now wearing nothing but that black swimsuit, and Beck feels the only body part he can't control twitch. Before anything can happen, he turns back to face the lake and jumps off into the cold water.

By the time Jade reaches the rocks, Beck and Tiger are treading happily. "You've got to be kidding me. I am not jumping off of these."

"Come on, Jade! It feels great!"

"I change my mind. I'm not getting in."

"Just get in! Jump! Ready? One, two, th—"

"I can't! I can't do it."

"Yes, you can! Come on!"

"Beck, I really can't."

"Ready?" He asks, ignoring her protests. "One, two, _three_!"

On his word, Jade squeezes her eyes closed and jumps into the water. When she surfaces, she's screaming and Beck is laughing so hard that he can barely breathe. He swims over to where she's starting to tread water and takes her into his arms.

"See? This isn't so bad, is it?"

Jade catches her breath and begins kicking her legs to keep herself afloat. Tiger is swimming circles around them, and Beck leans in to kiss his girlfriend. As he does, he kicks backwards until he reaches the shallower spot he knows is near. Once he can stand with just his shoulders and head above the water, he picks Jade's legs up so that she can straddle him and he can support her weight.

Beck's hands grip underneath her thighs and he starts kissing down her neck. Without meaning to, she grinds herself against his chest and he grunts. She pulls away to laugh at them, and Beck is staring at her with a look no one has ever given her before.

"I could kiss you all day," he says, "you know that?"

"I don't think I'd mind." Right as she kisses him again, Tiger paddles over to them and drops his tennis ball from his mouth. Jade laughs and moves her hands from where they'd been on her boyfriend's neck so she can massage Tiger's ears. "I'm sorry, Tig. We haven't been playing with you much, huh?" She kisses her puppy's wet nose and he licks her chin happily.

Beck grabs the tennis ball from where it's floating in the water. After jiggling it in Tiger's face, he throws it for the puppy to chase after. Tiger excitedly flops around and shows off his swimming and fetch skills by bringing it back into Beck's hand. "Good boy!" He exclaims. "Do it again!" He says, and kisses Jade for the entire time that it takes the puppy to bring the ball back.

After half an hour more of swimming around and playing with Tiger, the two swim together over to the shoreline. When Tiger follows them and crawls out of the lake, he shakes around wildly to dry himself off. Beck and Jade, meanwhile, lie down in the warm grass together. Beck's move to tickle his girlfriend results in his discovery that she is, in fact, _extremely_ ticklish—as well as his concluding position of hovering over her. He wastes no time in leaning down to kiss her, and she hikes her leg up around his back for leverage. Beck laughs against her mouth.

"What?"

"How come every time we make out, we're soaking wet?"

Jade thinks for a second, and then kinks one eyebrow. "I thought that was supposed to be a good thing," she jokes, and then both of them are laughing. That is, until laughing leads to more kissing.

It could be that it's their lack of real clothes, but it isn't lost on either of them that this is quickly turning into their most heated make-out session thus far. Jade's arms are wrapped around his back, her nails clawing for a good grip. Beck is working his way down her jawline to kiss her neck, and he's going lower and lower when that same flashback appears in his mind again. He's about to put a stop to things for the second time in a row, but another kiss at the nape of Jade's neck causes her to let out an obviously involuntary moan. At that point, Beck throws all logic out the window and continues kissing down until he reaches the crest between her breasts.

Jade can barely see or think straight—much less take the time to appreciate the fact that Beck is _finally_ going there—as her boyfriend uses one hand to push aside the wet fabric of her bikini top. He's careful, watching her for any sign of discomfort or panic, but he sees nothing but pleasure in her face. His confidence level increases and he places his mouth on the skin he'd revealed. She lets a forced breath out and his eyes shoot up to hers. She chuckles and Beck is instantly relieved, so he goes back to kissing her chest. Jade almost pulls him up to ask him why he's still seeming to walk on eggshells when they hook up, but she decides to simply let him continue his ministrations.

Unfortunately for him, it only takes a few more minutes before exactly what he knew would happen, happens. Jade tries to keep a straight face when she feels him hard against her thigh, but it proves to be more difficult when she can see Beck's blush even through his darker complexion. When he's clearly at a loss for what to say, Jade cups his cheeks in her hands and forces him to look at her.

"I'm sorry," he blurts out.

"Beck. It's fine. You don't have to apologize." He doesn't say anything, so Jade raises her eyebrows. "I can—"

"No. No, it's okay," he cuts her off, blushing harder. "We should probably be getting back for dinner soon anyways."

"Beck—"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Despite the fact that Jade is once again bewildered by his refusal (inability?) to talk with her about what's going on in his head, she says nothing in fear of making the situation even more awkward. "Okay," she says. "So…we're going home?"

"After I jump back in the water for a second."

She purses her lips to avoid laughing, and Beck kisses her cheek before quickly pushing himself up to stand on his feet. He hops into the cold water for the second time, and lets himself cool off and calm down before swimming to get out again. By the time he's walking back to the truck, Jade has picked up Tiger and his toys and is getting situated in her seat. They ride back to Georgia's in an uncomfortable silence that is both new and unwanted by both of them. When they finally arrive back to the house, they each go to their rooms to shower up for dinner.

Georgia, much to their stress, picks up on the unusual, awkward tension that surrounds their dinner conversation (or, rather, lack thereof). Lucky for the both of them, she doesn't bring it up, and the two return to their own bedrooms for the night. Just before midnight, when Jade is nearing the end of a chapter in her latest book, Beck knocks on her door to enter.

"Come in."

"I wanted to say sorry again," he says, sitting down on her bed. "I don't know what came over me today," he lies.

"It's okay. I just…want you to be able to talk to me. You know you can, right?"

"Of course," he lies again. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." A pause, and then, "Do you want to sleep here tonight?"

She catches the split-second look of panic in his face before he can put on a façade, but, instead of embarrassing him, she lets him give her another excuse.

"I don't want to wake you up as early as I have to be up," he tells her smoothly. "I've got to run to the store at eight, and I know you don't have work tomorrow." Beck kisses her forehead and then her lips. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she replies softly, and he smiles before getting up to leave her.

The next morning, Jade comes downstairs in her pajamas to see Georgia at work on her computer. After making herself a cup of coffee, she joins her grandmother at the kitchen table. Georgia looks up from her computer and fixes her glasses. "Morning, darling."

"Morning. What are you doing? And where's Beck?"

"He's already gone to Home Depot. Left about half an hour ago. As for me, I'm working on something for Burley's annual 4th of July town festival." Jade furrows her eyebrows and Georgia shakes her head. "I know. But Steve—the mayor—puts me in charge of this same damn thing every year. It's my job to schedule where each event and booth will be held around the town square."

"Sounds…interesting."

"It's not."

"Didn't think so."

"But, I think you'd enjoy going at least. I always go to the festival."

"That's because you know every person in this town."

"You'd be surprised by how many you know, too. Between seeing people at Bradley's office and just around the town, you probably have met more than you can think of. And everyone, of course, knows who _you_ are."

"Because of you," she points out.

"Maybe. Well, the festival's in two weeks and the whole town will be there. You've got a while to decide, and you'll at least get the day off of work."

Jade takes another sip of her coffee and feels Tiger at her foot. "You hungry?" She asks her puppy, who jumps at her legs. She scoots out of her chair and puts Tiger's food out for him, and Georgia smiles at the little dog.

"He's already growing, huh? And those little spots of his are getting darker."

"Yep. Beck thinks he'll be huge by August, but I think he's got a while left to grow. At least, I hope so."

"Speaking of Beck," Georgia picks out her granddaughter's words, "you two have gotten pretty close, huh?" Jade uses her acting skills and slides back into her seat to drink more coffee.

She shrugs. "I guess so."

"You guess so?" Jade looks at her blankly. "You two spend practically every waking hour together unless you're at work."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, he's kind of my only friend in this town. It's not like I have tons of other options for people to hang out with."

"I know, I know. I'm just saying that you seem to get along well."

"We're just friends, Grandma."

"Alright, alright. I believe you."

"Moving on," Jade demands, "just so you know, Beck and I are going out tomorrow night with some friends."

"I thought we were moving on," Georgia teases.

"Grandma," the younger girl protests.

"Just kidding, just kidding. Some friends? I thought you didn't have friends?"

"One friend. And he's Beck's. Andre something."

"Andre Harris? He works at the Home Depot; I love him!"

"Of course you do."

"He's a great kid. Hard worker. His parents are real nice, too."

"Well, anyhow. We ran into him earlier this week and he invited us out."

"Alright. Thank you for telling me. So long as Beck stays with you, it's fine. This town is safer than most, but I don't want to take my chances—especially if you'll be out late."

"Fine by me."

.

"So, Georgia said we can go tomorrow night. I talked to her this morning."

It's ten o'clock at night and they're lying on his bed side-by-side. "Really? Sweet."

"She said she loves Andre. Of course."

Beck chuckles. "That woman knows everyone within a fifty mile radius, I swear."

"_That woman_ also happens to be asleep," Jade replies in a lower tone. In two seconds, Beck is on top of her, kissing her and making her laugh. This time, it only takes a minute of making out for him to put his hands on her breasts. Since he's confident that she enjoys it and that it's a safe area, he begins kneading and massaging to get her nearly gasping for air. "Take it off," she manages to get out, and Beck looks at her, as if to ask if she's sure, so she nods.

Reaching for the hem of her shirt, Beck finds it and tugs upwards until she's left in her bra. He swallows hard and leans down to kiss her lips again. While one hand stays on her chest, he slides the other down her smooth stomach to grab her hip. He hadn't meant to make her think his hand would go further down, but she seems upset when he stops. Since Beck tries to ignore it, Jade waits, as patiently as she can, for him to make another move. When he doesn't, she uses both hands to push against his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" She asks, all in one breath.

He does a good job of looking surprised. "What?"

"You do this every time. You refuse to do anything other than kiss me. I don't care if you don't want to do anything else, but at least tell me. Don't just act weird about it."

His heart is beating even faster now, if that were even possible, and he contemplates telling her about his fear. After less than thirty seconds of hard thinking, he concludes that maybe he'd been exaggerating what he'd seen with Jordan in his head. He'd been jealous that night—jealous and angry. He'd probably just imagined it. Right? Well, it'd have to do for now. "Sorry," he says again. "I just want to make sure you're cool with it."

"I am," she tells him, and brings his face down to kiss him gently. "I am. Just…touch me. It's okay."

Beck nods his head and closes the space between their lips. Carefully, he slides the hand on her breast down her torso and into her pajama shorts. When he reaches into her underwear, he's suddenly accosted by a blow to the face, causing him to jerk backwards.

It takes him a few seconds to regain his vision, but, when he does, he looks down to see Jade with her hand over her open mouth. She looks horrified, and her expression worsens when Beck removes his palm from his nose to see that there's blood dripping down his face. He sits up and walks into his bathroom, where he sees the effect of her hit. His nose isn't broken, but it will most definitely need a cleaning and a towel held to it for a little while.

"Beck," Jade breathes, standing up from the bed. He turns to look at her, but he's holding a rag to his nose and she can barely stand to look at him because the knot in her stomach only grows. Without another word, she bolts from the room, and he hears her door shut seconds later.

After cleaning up the blood and changing his shirt, he gets back into his bed and holds a wetted hand towel to his nose to help the swelling. He thinks multiple times about going into Jade's room to check on her, but decides to give her space for the time being. Two hours later, though, she appears in his doorway. He's awake, after having to change out the towel twice, and still laying in bed. She doesn't say anything, just stands still and stares at him. Since the only current lighting in his room is his bedside lamp, he can't see the tear stains on her face. Regardless, he grabs the far side of his blanket and lifts it up, inviting her to join him.

It takes her a minute to gather the courage to move, but she does eventually. Slowly, she approaches his bed and crawls into it next to him. Beck can hear her heartbeat through her chest, so he leans in to drop a slow kiss to her temple. He reaches over her to turn the lamp off, and she cries silently into his chest until they both fall asleep.

* * *

**Up next: Beck, Jade, and Andre's night out - and the return of a character from the past. **

**Reviews are gr8 and the more there are, the faster I'll try to write ;)**

**And, seriously, I really enjoy reading your thoughts. **


	7. Chapter Seven

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**Chapter Seven**

.

Beck wakes up a mere hour after he falls asleep, thanks to the pounding in his nose. While the swelling has gone down considerably, he's still in a state of pain that won't allow him to sleep. What proves to be even more painful than the throbbing on his face is his memory of what had happened three hours ago. After all of his girlfriend's pleads and reassurances, he had just barely gotten his hand into the unchartered territory of her pants when she hit him.

It was sudden and harsh, and he could tell only by the horrified look on her face that it had been completely impulsive. Jade wouldn't hurt him purposely. He knows that. What frustrates him more than anything, though, is her refusal to talk about any of it with him. He moves the rag so that it no longer blocks his eyesight, and looks down to see that she's still asleep. He wants to get up to wet his rag again, but the last thing he wants to do is wake her.

Carefully, he reaches over her to set the now mostly dry rag on his nightstand. Jade doesn't budge, but, when Beck returns to laying on his back, she rolls closer to him in her sleep. When she snuggles her head into his chest, the pleasant things he thought he'd feel are immediately interrupted by dreadful ones. Not knowing what happened to Jade to make her react the way she had is killing him.

He can't sleep. And, while his insomnia frustrates him, it's also the reason he's awake when, an hour later, Jade begins to move in her sleep. At first she's just mumbling—but then the mumbling turns into crying. She pulls her legs together and squeezes them up to hold herself in a fetal position, and Beck starts to panic.

"Jade." He jolts her shoulders in an attempt to wake her up, but she's still crying and shaking and, worst of all, asleep.

"Don't," she cries. "Don't, please."

"Jade, wake up. Wake up. I'm here, it's Beck. Wake up."

Her mumbling becomes incoherent so, going against what he wants to do, Beck shakes her more aggressively to pull her out of her nightmare. Her eyes fly open and she's gasping for air, so Beck reaches over to turn on the lamp.

"It's okay. It's okay; it was just a dream. I'm right here."

Her chest is rising and falling sporadically with each breath she takes, and when she tries to close her eyes for any kind of relief, she starts crying again.

"Shhh." Beck's heart breaks as he pulls her into his arms. "Shhh, it's okay. Everything is okay." It's a lie, he knows, but he'll do anything to calm her. "I'm here."

It takes another half hour for her to calm down completely, all of which Beck stays awake and attentive for. When her heart rate has slowed back to its normal speed, Beck is combing his fingers through her hair. She's embarrassed—humiliated from what had happened earlier and now even more so that she'd had a nightmare right in front of him—but she doesn't have the stamina to get up and go to her own room.

"Jade," Beck says softly, "we need to talk about this." She closes her eyes, but he shakes his head. "Jade." He tilts her chin up to meet his face. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she cries. "I'm sorry; I didn't think I would hit you; I don't even know why—"

"Jade, I don't care about that. I'm not mad about it. I just want to know..."

She's quiet for ten minutes, and Beck tries to be as patient as he can. "I can't," she finally says. "I can't tell you."

"You can. It's just me. I won't judge you or think of you any differently, but you're scaring me. This is scary."

She sighs. "It's not that. I just...don't want you to know."

"How come?"

She shakes her head. "I just don't."

"Jade, how can we ever have anything real if you refuse to be honest with me? Just sometimes, you have to tell me what's going on in your head or I'm going to go crazy. Please, let me in."

She blinks her eyes and a single tear falls onto the pillow. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize, please. I'm sorry if I'm—" He cuts himself off and takes a deep breath. "I want to know. It's okay if it's bad." When she still doesn't say anything, he decides to prod her with questions. "Did someone hurt you?" No answer. "Did...Did Jordan—"

"He's never touched me."

"Promise me he's never hurt you." Beck's blood is boiling already at the memory of him on top of her and her body freezing up. He'd never forgive himself if Jordan had previously hurt Jade and he hadn't known about it.

"I promise."

He nods slowly. "So it was someone else, then." She won't even look at him. "Jade, who was it?"

Silence.

Beck cups her cheek with one palm. "I can't just keep guessing; I don't know very many people from your life." More tears fall from her eyes and she takes a shaky breath in.

"It started when I was twelve."

Beck feels like he's been stabbed in the gut, but he says nothing.

"He would only come to my room after my mom had passed out from her fifth vodka tonic. She never knew; she still doesn't." Her voice quivers, but she continues. "At first, I thought it was a one-time thing. I thought he was just…I don't know. But, when he came the second night, I knew it was going to happen again." She sniffles and takes another deep breath. "It ended when I was fourteen, as soon as my mom started AA. He knew that, once she sobered up, she'd suspect something. So, one day, he just stopped. He never said a word, and neither did I. It just went away."

It takes Beck a minute just to form words. "Jade, I am so—"

"I'm fine. I promise."

"But," he tries to protest, "you live with him. How do you... What if he—"

"He hasn't set foot in my bedroom since my freshman year. So long as my mom stays in AA and off her bottle, he won't touch me." He doesn't say anything for a few seconds, so she looks up to glare at him. "You cannot tell Georgia."

"But, Jade—"

"Not a word. You promised."

Beck wants to argue that he promised before he knew that her step-father had sexually abused her for two years, but he knows that it's more important to gain her trust. "I know you don't want me to say I'm sorry, but I'm going to anyways. I'm sorry that he did that. You don't deserve that, and it's not your fault. Please tell me you know that."

She doesn't reply.

"Jade."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," she says, and her voice is weaker than before. Beck, willing to do anything to not upset her, nods his head. She sighs tiredly and presses her face into his shirt so that her voice is barely audible. "Please don't tell anyone," she cries.

"I won't." He tightens his arms around her and her heartbeat starts to slow again. "I promise: I won't tell a soul." There are three more words he wants to add, but he doesn't know if saying them aloud would scare himself or her more, so he refrains. "Goodnight, Jade," he settles for. Beck thinks she mumbles something into his chest, but she's already dozing off to sleep and, for that, he's grateful.

Again, though, he is unable to sleep. Hard as he tries, he can't think of anything other than the anger boiling inside of him. It scares him—the amount of rage he can feel even with Jade lying beside him. It scares him to think of wanting to kill her step-father, and to hope that he never comes face-to-face with the man who did this to her.

He doesn't know when he manages to finally fall asleep, but the next time he opens his eyes, it's bright outside. Jade is sound asleep in his arms, but he knows from one look at his clock that she has to be at work in just over an hour. Tiger is asleep at the foot of his bed, but Beck knows it won't be long before the puppy is wide-eyed and awake. The last thing he notices is that his nose is pounding, and that he'll definitely need to ask Georgia for painkillers.

In his first attempt to wake his girlfriend up, he presses a firm kiss to her temple. When she doesn't move, he tries rubbing her arm and kissing her head again. "Jade," he says softly, "it's 8:45." She grumbles something that Beck can't make out, so he persists until she opens her eyes. He props himself up on one elbow and brushes a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "Good morning." He leans in to kiss her lips and she responds instantly by kissing him back.

"Morning." She frowns. "Your nose is still a little swollen. Beck, I'm so sorry."

He kisses her forehead. "It doesn't hurt."

"Don't lie. There's no way you're not in pain."

"Jade, I'm fine. I'll get some painkillers from Georgia, okay?"

She pauses. "I'm still—"

He kisses her lightly to interrupt her, and is careful not to bump his nose. Jade sighs and lets his smell and his presence calm her.

"You sure you're okay to go to work today? I can call Bradley and tell him you're sick, or—"

"I can go. I want to; it's a good distraction. Besides, you've got your interview at Pickles today anyways. You can bring me lunch when you're done."

"Of course I will."

Tiger yawns from where he's lying at the end of the bed, and then shakes his head from side to side as he wakes up. As soon as he sees Beck and Jade's faces, he hops over to them and begins licking their faces.

Beck laughs and pets the puppy, who is now curling up to Jade. After a minute, the two get up to take Tiger outside. When they come back in, Georgia has their plates of eggs, toast, and bacon on the table.

"Morning," she greets them as she sits down at the table with her mug. "Coffee's ready."

While Beck gets Tiger's food and water into his bowls, Jade makes a cup of coffee for both herself and Beck. It isn't lost on Georgia that the two of them work together like a married couple, but she remains silent on the matter.

When Beck leaves to drive Jade to work, Georgia pats her legs so that Tiger comes over to sit with her. As she continues working on the schedule for Burley's 4th of July festival, she strokes the happy puppy in her lap. She's still working when Beck walks back through the door. Tiger instantly leaps out of Georgia's lap and runs over to Beck, who scoops him up and kisses him.

Beck smiles at Georgia. "I'm going to take him outside while I water the flowers. He probably needs to get some energy out."

"Okay." Georgia sets down her coffee. "What time is your interview?"

"12:30."

"And what are you planning on wearing?" She asks. Beck's mind goes blank and Georgia chuckles. "You can water the flowers this afternoon; right now, let's go into town and find you something."

"Georgia," he tries to protest, because, really, she's done more than enough for him already.

"No arguments. You can wear your shorts and t-shirts when you get the job—but you'd better look damn sharp when you're trying to get it."

He nods, so Georgia closes her laptop and grabs her car keys and Tiger's leash from the hook on the wall. "Let's go. Tiger, too."

Beck follows her out to her car, and the two make good conversation on their way into town. When they arrive at Jos A. Bank, they get out of the car and roll down the windows so that Tiger has fresh air while he stays in and plays with his toys.

"I've done all of Bradey's shopping here for ten years," Georgia explains as they walk inside. "When his wife passed, he realized how generally clueless he is about stuff like this. So, once a month or so, we come here and he picks out a few new things. I'm in charge of making sure they fit him right and that they're not completely hideous." Beck chuckles, but Georgia can tell it's a nervous laughter rather than his usual, jovial one.

"I'm going to do the same for you." She pats his shoulder. "What size are you?" He looks at her hesitantly and she smiles. "Well, that's what we'll figure out. Come on, let's get you sized."

After an hour has passed, Beck has picked out three dress shirts: one gray, one blue, and one red. Georgia makes him get a white one, too, as well as two pairs of slacks. A few ties and some dress shoes later, they're walking out of the store. "Georgia, I can't thank you enough."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I just want you to look fantastic for your interview. Besides, every man needs a few nice outfits for special occasions."

He nods. "I want to pay you ba—"

"Ah-ah," she cuts him off. "We've talked about this."

"I know, but—"

"No buts. You looked very handsome in those clothes; it would have been a crime for us not to buy them."

Beck smiles and gets into the car, and the two head back home so that he can shower and get dressed in his new clothes. By noon, he's clean, shaven, and dressed. The swelling in his nose is hardly noticeable, but when he looks at himself, he hardly recognizes himself.

For the first time in his life, he's dressed in nice clothes. His hair is combed neatly and his body is clean. He's healthy, he's happy, and he's about to go in to interview for his first, official, paid job. If someone were to tell him six months ago that this is where he'd be, he would have laughed in their face.

And yet, oddly enough, the thing he's most excited about concerning this outfit is Jade seeing him in it.

When he descends the stairs, Georgia grins and nods her head. "Definitely worth the shopping trip. Beck, you look wonderful."

He smiles. "Thank you, Georgia."

"Alright, you should get going!" She pulls him into a quick hug and gives his arm a squeeze. "Good luck. You're going to do great. If my granddaughter can't resist that smile, the guys at Pickles won't be able to either." She winks and Beck drops his head back.

"Georgia," he chides her.

"I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding. One more thing before you go," she says, handing him a formal, sealed envelope. Beck furrows his eyebrows. "It's a reference letter. It helps to have people you've worked for recommend you as a good employee."

He smiles proudly and it warms her heart. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go! If you're not early, you're late!"

He rocks the interview. Despite the fact that he has no formal work experience whatsoever, the manager buys his genuine image of a hardworking, caring guy. The letter from Georgia, which speaks extremely highly of Beck and his both personal and professional characteristics, even further confirms the employers' confidence in him.

When he walks through the door of Dr. Dunne's, Jade's eyes shoot up to see him and Beck watches her expression carefully. He raises his arms to his sides and grins.

"I got the job."

Ignoring the presence of two people with their pets in the office, Jade rushes out of her chair and springs into his arms. "Congratulations!" She says happily as he pulls her tightly into a hug. After a few seconds, she leans back to look at him. "Did you and Georgia go shopping?" He smiles and nods his head. Jade lowers her voice. "You look really, really sexy in this shirt. I like it."

"Jade West, are you flirting with me in public?"

Before Jade can answer, the door behind her desk opens and she jolts back out of Beck's arms as Bradley is walking his most recent patient out. She returns to her desk to check Mr. Carleton and his dog out, and Bradley moves over to talk to Beck.

"Well, you look like a million bucks! What's with the tie?" He grins and pats Beck's shoulder.

"I just had a job interview. You're looking at the newest waiter at Pickles!"

"Wow, congratulations! That's fantastic—I love Pickles! They're certainly lucky to have you on board."

"Thank you, sir. I'm happy to get the opportunity to do it. You mind if I borrow your secretary for her lunch break?"

"Not at all. You two go ahead. In fact, I think that after I get Mrs. Brown and Mr. Divencinzo finished," he says, pointing to the other two patrons in his office, "I'm going to close up and take the rest of the afternoon off." He looks at Jade, who is coming around from behind the desk. "Thanks for all your hard work today, Jade. I think I'll be seeing the two of you tomorrow." Beck and Jade exchange confused looks and Bradley smiles. "Georgia invited me for dinner Saturday night. I hope that's okay."

"Of course," Beck reassures him kindly. "I look forward to it."

Once they've said their goodbyes, the couple heads out to the truck and Beck kisses Jade as soon as they're in the car. He smiles against her lips. "Hi."

"Hi." She kisses him lightly. "First: how's your nose?"

"I had forgotten all about it," he promises, and kisses her again.

"Liar."

"Really. And, hey, the guys at the interview obviously didn't notice anything, because they thought I looked good enough to give me the job," he jokes.

Jade's voice softens. "I'm so proud of you." She brings her hands up to cup his cheeks. "You deserve this more than anyone, and I'm so happy for you."

"We'll celebrate tonight," he tells her, and kisses her until her head spins.

Around nine-thirty that night, Jade makes her way across the hall and into Beck's room. He eyes her up and down once.

"Oh, no."

"What?" She immediately looks down at her outfit. Her black, slightly ripped skinny jeans show off her superlong legs, and tuck into her black boots at the bottom. Her top, also black with nondescript writing on it, covers her cleavage but sacrifices fabric at the bottom, where it rises just slightly in the front to show off her stomach.

"You can't wear that out!"

"What?" She folds her arms over her chest. "Why the hell not?"

"You're going to make me look like an asshole when I have to be constantly pulling guys off of you."

She rolls her eyes and Beck smiles more seriously. "You look beautiful, Jade."

"Then get over here and kiss me."

He laughs and does as she says, pulling her into his arms and starting a make-out session almost long enough to make him forget everything that had happened last night. Still, when he pulls away, he's smiling. "Ready to go?"

"Not yet." She pulls him by the collar of his plaid button-up back to her lips. They kiss until they know they have to leave to pick Andre up, so Beck takes her hand and leads her downstairs and out to the truck. Lucky for them, Tiger loves Georgia enough that, when the woman had offered to let him sleep in her room for the night, the puppy was perfectly happy with it. So, worry free, Beck and Jade lock the door behind them and set out to pick Andre up from his parents' house.

When their friend hops into the back seat, he pats Beck's shoulder and smiles at the two. "Thanks for picking me up, man! You guys ready for a great night?"

"Yup."

"Always," Jade adds.

When Beck parks outside of The Red Bar, they can already tell it's busy. "Alright, real quick." Andre pulls out a bottle of liquor that neither Beck nor Jade had noticed he'd had. "We all take one pull. Deal?"

"Where'd you even get that?" Beck laughs.

"My grandma." Both of his new friends give him confused looks. "Long story. Either way: you in?"

"I am," Jade declares, and takes the bottle from him. She takes a pull from the bottle of Three Olives vodka and puckers her lips to avoid tasting the burn on her mouth.

"Damn, girl." Andre laughs and takes the bottle back to drink a sip of his own, and then hands it to Beck, who looks hesitant.

"I don't know."

"Beck, it's fine," Andre assures him.

"I'm driving."

"Not for at least another couple of hours," Jade points out. "It's just a shot, but if you don't want to, don't."

Beck nods and accepts the bottle from Andre, after which he takes a swig and feels the burning alcohol go down his throat. "Wow. That is nasty."

"It's not supposed to taste good when you don't drink it with anything else," his girlfriend explains.

"Have you never had alcohol?" Beck shakes his head and gives Andre the bottle back. "Well, there's a first time for everything." He grins and messes with Beck's hair. "Proud of you."

"Shut up," Beck laughs and pushes his hand away. The three exit the truck, and Beck takes Jade's hand as they walk into the bar. Just like Andre had promised, there's no bouncer of any kind to check their IDs.

Thirty minutes later, when Andre has ventured to the bar to flirt with a girl he spotted, Jade drags Beck to the dance floor area.

"No, no," he tries to protest. "I can't dance."

"Bullshit. You're going to dance with me to my favorite kind of music."

"I'm really bad. Trust me."

"I trust you," Jade tells him, "but I know you. And I know that you _largely_ underestimate yourself." She puts his hands on her hips and wraps her arms around his neck, and begins swaying back and forth. The impressively good cover band on stage is playing Frankie Valli's "Oh What a Night," and Beck smiles.

"So my girl is into old school, huh?"

"It's my favorite."

"You're not very predictable, Jade West. You know that?"

"That's what I like to hear. And, by the way, you are totally not bad at dancing. Liar."

"I've never really—" He stops himself. "I guess I just haven't ever found the right person to dance with."

She stretches up to kiss him and his body vibrates like it always does. He likes her so much that it scares him, especially considering all that he's kept from her. He can't help but wonder when she'll get tired of knowing so little about his past. Knowing Jade, he doesn't have as long as he'd like to. When he notices that she's mouthing the lyrics to herself, Beck is pulled out of his thoughts and realizes how effortlessly this girl can turn him on.

He leans in to kiss her cheek, and then whispers hot against her ear. "You were right. I'm do like dancing with you."

Jade laces her fingers in his thick, brown hair, and pulls him closer to her lips. "I thought you might say that."

Close to midnight, "Groove Me" by King Floyd is playing and the couple is back to dancing. The song is barely halfway through when Andre comes up and shakes one of each of their shoulders.

"Guys, I need help."

"What? Is everything okay?" Beck instinctively grabs Jade's hand.

"I'm fine, but—just come."

Jade furrows her eyebrows, but walks with Beck behind Andre anyways. When they reach the side exit of the bar, Andre pushes the door open and suddenly they're outside in a dark alley. The only light is the streetlight about ten feet ahead, but it's enough for them to be able to see the person laying on the ground by the dumpster.

"Holy shit," Jade mutters. "How did you—"

"I came out to get some fresh air for a second, and the next thing I knew, I saw her, so I went back in to get help."

The girl is laying on her stomach, face down, and the three teenagers move quickly to turn her over onto her back.

"Oh my god."

Andre and Jade look perplexingly at Beck, but he just keeps staring at the stranger. "Oh my god," he utters again.

"What?" Jade puts her hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"

He shakes his head in disbelief. "I know this girl. She... Well, she saved my life once."

"What?" Jade asks, but Andre speaks before Beck can answer.

"Before we do anything—no matter who she is—we need to pull this needle out of her arm. It could be infected."

"Shouldn't we let the paramedics do that?"

"Speaking of paramedics," Beck notes, "Andre, can you call 911?"

Andre nods and dials the numbers as he begins to explain. "If she's alive, she most likely has heroin surging through her body. The sooner we get the needle out, the less chance it has to infect her."

While Andre pulls the dirty needle from the girl's arm, Jade begins checking for a heartbeat. "She has a pulse, but it's really weak." She turns towards her boyfriend while Andre speaks to the phone operator. "How do you know her?"

"I," He starts, but realizes he can't continue his sentence without telling her too much about his past. "We used to be friends. I haven't seen her in months, though. I never expected to see her again."

Jade is still confused and is determined to press for more questions, but at this point Andre is off the phone and clearly has something to say.

"The paramedics want us to stay with her until they get here, which should only take a couple minutes. They said to keep her facing up and that they'll be here soon."

Beck nods and, true to their word, the EMTs arrive shortly. While two men lift her onto a stretcher, one of them looks at Beck. "You're the one who knows her?"

"Well, I—"

"What's her name?"

"It's Cat. I don't know her last name."

"Do you know anything else about her?"

"Some."

"Okay. We're going to need you to come down to the hospital. You got a car?" Beck nods. "Great. Meet us there."

"Should one of us stay with her?" Jade asks. "So that she's not completely alone?"

"Yeah, good call. I'll go; I'll see you guys there." Andre follows the men carrying Cat's stretcher, and Beck turns to wrap his arms protectively around Jade. She goes with it, resting her head on his chest as he holds her close to him. When he pulls away just slightly, he kisses her forehead.

"We should probably go."

Jade nods and takes his hand, and they're pulling up to Burley Memorial Hospital fifteen minutes later. She hasn't asked any detailed questions, but Beck can tell that she's curious. When they arrive in the ER, Andre informs them that they've taken Cat into a private room.

"They're doing her blood work and hooking her up to a few IV lines. Apparently she's got a lot of drugs in her system...some laces of hydrocodone, heroin, and cocaine. Beck, how the hell do you know this girl?"

"Mr. Oliver," a woman in a police uniform enters the room and gets the teenagers' attention. "Sorry to interrupt. You're the one who knows Cat?"

"Yes, ma'am. Sort of."

"Great. Can you come with me, please?"

"Sure." He kisses Jade's temple and squeezes her hand, then nods towards Andre as if to ask to stay with her. When he enters the room he's led to, the officer closes the door behind him.

"Beck, is it?" A male officer rises from his seat to shake Beck's hand.

"Yes, sir."

"Have a seat. You're working for Miss Georgia Wilson, aren't you?" Beck nods. "Lucky guy. Georgia's a fantastic lady. Real respected here in Burley." He nods again, so the cop moves on. "So, can you tell us about your relationship with Cat?"

"Well, we... We met about two or three months ago. I needed a ride and she offered me one."

"Hitchhiking?" The female cop clarifies.

"Yes, ma'am," he answers hesitantly, and his cheeks flush. "Cat pulled up to me on the side of the road and offered me a ride. She seemed nice and I was desperate, so I rode with her. I noticed that she had a coke problem; she sniffed from her nail polish bottle three times in twenty-fours—while driving." The officers look appropriately shocked, but Beck continues. "She gave me a ride to Burley, and then said she was going to keep driving up to Boise, where she had a boyfriend of some kind waiting for her."

"Do you know the guy?"

"No, sir."

"Was anyone else involved with her that you knew of?"

Beck nods. "A younger girl, Lola. She was thirteen, I think, and Cat had saved her, too. Picked her up in Texas, she said."

The officers continue writing. "Have you heard from Cat since she dropped you off in Burley?"

"No, ma'am. To be honest, I thought I'd never see her again. I never thought I'd find her outside of a bar here in town. Is she... Is she okay?"

"Dr. Anderson thinks she's going to be fine physically. They're working on getting the junk out of her system right now. As for her mental and emotional state... Let's just say she's going to have a long journey ahead of her upon waking up. You don't know of any family or friends she might have, for support?"

Beck thinks, hard, but finds himself without any other information. "Other than Lola, no ma'am."

"She's got no ID, no wallet. She's really a Jane Doe, with the exception of the fact that we know her first name. Thank you for your help, Beck. We'll do the best we can to get her home."

He nods. "If you wouldn't mind keeping me updated..."

"Will do."

"Thank you."

After promising the hospital staff they'd return in the morning, Beck, Jade, and Andre finally leave to go home. They drop Andre off and arrive back at Georgia's, where the couple heads upstairs to get ready for bed.

"Is she your ex-girlfriend?" Jade asks the question that's been burning on her mind almost as soon as they're settled in her bed.

"No. You know I've never had a girlfriend."

"I'm just confused. I have a right to be confused; you've hardly told me anything."

He looks at her sadly. "I know. I'm sorry. It's complicated. And...really embarrassing."

"I still want to know."

Beck nods in understanding, and distracts himself by twirling a strand of her long hair around his finger. "I needed a ride once. I had to get somewhere, but my car broke down and I had no way to get it fixed." He hates himself for lying to her, but he tells himself what he always has:

The more she knows, the more danger she's in.

"Cat gave me a ride to Burley; she's how I ended up here."

Jade furrows her eyebrows, and it isn't lost on her that Beck won't meet her eyes. "You were…hitchhiking?"

He sighs. "Yeah." They're quiet for a minute, but Beck isn't naïve enough to believe that that's the end of the conversation.

"Why?"

"Well, because my car broke down—"

"No, I know that. But…why were you all alone? What place were you leaving and why?"

His breath hitches in his throat and he leans down to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry about it. I'm here now, and that's all that matters."

"But—"

"Jade, you have to trust me with this. I promise that, one day, I will tell you everything. But, for now, the less you know, the better."

"You're scaring me."

"I don't mean to. You have nothing to be scared of, okay? I just don't want to put you in any danger. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. You know that, right?" Beck is looking in her eyes now, and she nods. He kisses her lips softly. "Are you sure you're okay with going back to the hospital tomorrow to see Cat? I know you don't know her. I barely know her. I just…feel obligated. She really did help me."

"I know. I'll go with you."

"Okay. Jade?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for being patient with me."

"Ditto." She snuggles closer to him. "Goodnight."

When they arrive downstairs the next morning, they find Georgia sitting at the table, clearly waiting for them. She has her coffee in front of her, but her laptop is pushed to the side and she points to the other chairs around the table in an indication for them to sit down. After giving each other nervous looks, Beck and Jade each take their usual seats.

"I heard you two were at the hospital last night." They both nod. "What was that about? And why on earth didn't I get a call?"

"Well, to start," Jade explains, "neither of us has a phone."

"But we weren't at the hospital for anything wrong with either one of us," Beck follows up shortly after her. "We were at the bar, like we'd said we would be, and Andre stepped outside for some air and saw a girl laying in the alleyway."

"A girl from here?"

"No," Beck clarifies. "We don't know where she's from, but we figured we'd go with her to the hospital because we were the only company she had."

"Well, that was very responsible of you. Where is she now?"

"Still at Memorial," Jade answers. "We're going to pick up Andre and go visit her in about an hour."

Georgia nods. "Alright. That's fine; I just needed to ask. Now, onto the next topic: I am tired of not being able to get ahold of either one of you. Clear your schedules for at least two hours this afternoon; we're going to get phones set up."

"Grandma, my mom—"

"Yeah, I know, she cut your service off. But you're living under _my_ roof this summer, so I can pay for whatever I want to pay for when it concerns you." Jade tries to hide a smile and nods her head. "Now, what do you two want for breakfast?"

A little over an hour later, Beck, Jade, and Andre are on their way to the hospital. Upon arriving, they're taken into Cat's room and see that the redhead is awake in her hospital bed. While Andre and Jade stay back, Beck approaches the girl cautiously.

"Cat?"

"_Beck_? Is that..."

"Yeah. It's me." He can see two things immediately: one, that her demeanor is polar opposite from when he'd first met her and, two, that she looks weak and tired—probably from all of the drugs they're pumping into her to keep her from having a withdrawal. "Long time, no see, huh?"

She smiles, but it disappears quickly. "What happened to me?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. We... We found you outside of The Red Bar here in Burley. The last time I saw you, I know you said you were going to Boise, but—"

"I did. I did go. But we made a road trip to Burley two days ago for Travis to meet his guy, you know." Beck nods because he's pretty sure he can connect the dots between who Travis is and what kind of "guy" Cat is referring to. "Wait, who's behind you?"

"Oh." Beck steps to the side to clear Cat's view of them. "This is my friend, Andre, and my girlfriend, Jade. They were with me when..." He trails off. "They just wanted to come with me to see you; we thought you might want some support."

Her big, brown eyes widen up at Beck. "Do they know? Do the doctors know about...the drugs?"

He nods reluctantly. "But, it's okay. They're not going to get you in trouble." The words come too late, though, and Cat has started to cry. "Cat, it's okay. You don't have to worry; the doctors only want what's best for you. And we're here, me, and Jade, and Andre. We just want to help you."

"I can't go back to Texas. Please don't let them send me back there, Beck. Please," she sobs.

"Okay. I'll tell them, Cat. I promise. If you don't want to go back there, they can't force you." She nods her head through her sobs, and Beck places a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. I'll go talk to the doctors; can I get you anything?"

"I want to watch a movie," she says between sniffles. "Do you think they have any good ones?"

"I'm sure they do."

"Nothing scary."

"I'll pick one," he promises. "We'll be back, okay?" Cat nods, and the three leave the room.

Nearly an hour—and a doctor's, a psychologist's, and a social worker's opinion—later, Beck is accepting the fact that Cat will have to be admitted to a rehabilitation facility. In the time since he'd last seen her, the redhead's addiction had spread from cocaine to heroin, and the doctors believed she would be sure to show signs of withdrawals once they eased her off the current medicine. Beck requests to be the one to tell her, and they grant permission.

When the three return to Cat's room, Andre puts in the DVD of _The Help_, and the three join Cat in watching the film. Although she's nearly asleep by the time the movie is over, Beck knows he still has something to do. He sits on her bed, and motions for Jade to stand beside him and for Andre to sit on the other side.

"Cat?"

"Yeah?"

"I talked to the doctors. You don't have to go back to Texas."

"Really?"

"Really. They said you could stay here in Burley."

"That's the best news I've ever heard," she says, still tiredly.

"Yeah." He smiles. "It's great. And, while you live here, you get to stay at a really nice place. It's a place where they'll help you get better."

Her eyebrows instantly furrow. "What? I thought... Well, I thought..." Her breaths get shorter and faster, so Andre clutches onto her hand.

"It's okay. There's nothing to be scared of." His voice is melodious and clearly calms Cat down, so much so that Beck and Jade are amazed at how he does it. "We're all here for you. We all live in the same city, and we can see each other all the time."

"Is it like rehab? I don't want to go to rehab," she cries.

"Yeah, it is," Andre answers. "But it's the best thing—"

"I don't need to go." She shakes her head in a pleading way. "I don't; I can stop all by myself. I only use a couple times a day, anyways. That's not so bad, is it? That's not bad. Travis was worse; he was worse than me. I promise."

"Shhh," Andre soothes her crying by rubbing his fingers against her hand. "It's okay. You're going to get better."

"We won't leave you, Cat. You saved my life; I'm just returning the favor."

Twenty minutes later, Cat has cried herself to sleep. Beck and Jade have to meet Georgia at the store to set up their phones, but Andre promises them he'll stay with her for the afternoon.

"She's got a long road ahead of her," Beck sighs as he starts up the truck in the hospital's parking lot.

"Yeah." Jade rests her hand on his arm. "That was really great, what you did back there. To be there for her like that... You're saving her life, Beck."

He leans over and kisses her lips, which he's sure he'll never get tired of. "Thanks for coming with me." He pecks her lips one more time. "You ready to get a phone?"

"Not really, actually. It's been nice to not have to keep up with all of the annoying people from home. I mean, sure, I miss a few of my friends—but other than them, I don't care to keep in touch with anyone."

"You can keep in touch with me," he points out, grinning.

"We live in the same house, idiot."

"Touché."

By dinnertime that Saturday night, Jade and Beck are each the proud owners of new iPhones. Since Bradley is supposed to arrive at seven, Georgia is busy making dinner, while Beck and Jade mess around on their phones outside by taking hundreds of dumb pictures of each other and Tiger.

When Bradley's car pulls up through the property gates, Beck and Jade head up to the porch to meet him. Tiger follows them clumsily, and crashes into Jade's feet for her to pick him up.

"Hey there, guys!" The vet greets them as he sticks his keys into his pocket. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good. Nice to have you for dinner," Beck replies, shaking the man's hand. Jade waves from beside her boyfriend and follows them both inside to the kitchen.

"It smells incredible in here. Georgia Wilson, what in the hell are you making for us?"

Georgia laughs and turns around to give her longtime friend a hug. "Good to see you, darlin'. We're having chicken pot pie."

"Fantastic. I brought this," he tells her, setting the expensive bottle of red wine on the table.

"Brad, you didn't have to do that, sweetheart."

"I wanted to," he promises her, and gives her hand a squeeze that doesn't go unnoticed by Beck or Jade.

Not surprisingly, dinner goes supremely well. There's hardly a moment of silence in the hour that they sit at the table, and the lively conversation is chalk full of laughter, stories, and obvious chemistry between both Beck and Jade and Georgia and Bradley.

After dinner, Jade offers to help her grandmother with the dishes while Beck and Bradley head out to the front patio to talk. As Georgia is handing Jade a plate to dry, she can't help but notice the smirk on her granddaughter's lips.

"What on earth has you grinning like a Cheshire Cat?"

"Nothing. You and Dr. Dunne are just...really close. Close for people who claim to be 'just friends'."

"Oh, hush. There is nothing going on between the two of us." Jade eyes her grandmother, and, oddly enough, she can detect the hint of disappointment in her time.

"What do you mean? He totally likes you."

Georgia hands her another plate. "He doesn't, Jade."

Jade sets the plate down and, putting both hands on her hips, turns to face the other woman. "Grandma, if you cannot see the way that man looks at you, you're either stupid or blind as a bat."

"Oh, you mean the kind of way Beck has looked at you for about a month now? But you two are just friends, huh?"

Jade blushes and throws her towel at her ever-sarcastic grandmother. "I'm just telling you: he likes you. It's very obvious. Beck thinks so, too."

"Mhmm. And what happened to you wanting to vomit at the thought of something happening between me and your boss?"

Jade shrugs and continues drying. "I guess I just realized that, if you like him, you deserve to be with him. Life is complicated enough as it is."

Georgia grins. "I always knew you were smart like your grandma."

Meanwhile, outside, Bradley informs his companion that he has something to tell him.

Beck nods. "What is it?"

"I want you to know...that Georgia told me...a little bit about your situation." Beck barely has time to panic before Dr. Dunne continues. "Don't worry; your secret is safe and I swear I won't tell a soul. I don't even know any details. Georgia wasn't trying to violate your trust; I think she told me because she thought I could be of some help to you." Beck can barely breathe, but stays tuned for Bradley's words. "I only do the vet stuff for fun; after my wife died, I got this degree because it was just something I always wanted to do. But, before then, I was a lawyer for twenty-eight years. If you ever need any legal help whatsoever, you know I'm behind you a hundred percent."

Beck lets out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, and Bradley pats his back. "Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem, son."

Inside, Jade and Georgia have almost finished drying the dishes when the landline rings, and Georgia hurries to answer it

"Wilson residence, Georgia speaking...Anna. I'm surprised to hear from you..." Jade darts her head in that direction and gives her grandmother a confused look. "What? Why?...Well, okay. I guess stranger things have happened...Him, too? Oh, Anna, you know how I feel about him...Yes, but—...Okay. No, okay. That's fine. When?..._Monday_? Seriously? That's in two days! Why the rush?..." Georgia rolls her eyes. "Yes, I know you hate the festival. Okay. Alright, well, I guess I'll see you soon."

"What the hell was that?" Jade asks as soon as Georgia has hung up the phone.

"Your mother. Something about wanting to see you and this being the only time all summer that Mitchell is off of work."

Jade's face goes white. "Mitch is coming, too?"

"Unfortunately," Georgia grumbles. "If you don't know this already, I hate the bastard. He practically ruined Anna." While she prattles on about her annoyance with Mitchell, she turns back around just in time to see her granddaughter faint.

"Jade!"

* * *

**So, this is 8k. I could have chopped it in the middle, where they first find Cat, but I wanted you guys to get this ending. **

**That being said, since I was nice and gave you twice the length of a normal chapter...you should review! Right?!**


	8. Chapter Eight

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**Chapter Eight**

.

"She's waking up."

Beck's words are urgent, alerting both Georgia and Bradley to the situation, but gentle enough not to startle Jade. When Jade blinks her eyes open, she refocuses her blurry vision to see Beck kneeling beside her.

"Hi," he sighs in relief. When he noticed how confused she is, he takes her hand into his and speaks softly. "You fainted. You were only out for a minute, but it felt like thirty."

"How do you feel, darling?" Jade hears her grandmother's voice come from behind Beck.

"I'm... I'm fine. I... Why did I faint?" When she furrows her eyebrows, she feels the sensations of, first, her pounding headache, and second, the cool, wet rag on her forehead.

"I don't know," Georgia admits. "Your mother had just called to tell me she was coming to see you, and the next thing I knew you were falling over. I know you don't like her, but I didn't think it was this bad," she chuckles lightly.

Beck turns around to look at Georgia. "Mrs. Lacey is coming?"

"She is. She's bringing her husband, whom I can't stand, but they claim to want to see Jade because it's the only time they'll be able to visit all summer."

Jade watches Beck's face flood with dread, and she squeezes his hand until she knows she's causing him physical pain so he knows to keep his mouth shut. Bradley, who had gone to the kitchen to get Jade some water, returns to the living room with a glass.

"Beck, will you help her sit up for a minute?"

He nods obediently and helps his girlfriend prop herself up on the couch by setting a pillow behind her. Bradley hands the glass of water to Beck, who hands it to Jade. She takes a sip and then looks embarrassedly at the three people around her.

"I'm fine, really. I'm fine. I don't know why I passed out; that's bizarre."

Beck wishes that she wasn't as good of an actress as she clearly is, but Georgia and Bradley buy her convincing words.

"I'm completely fine. I probably just need to sleep."

Georgia nods her head. "I agree; you need a good night's sleep."

Ten minutes later, Beck is carrying her upstairs to her room. Jade washes her face and brushes her teeth while her boyfriend does the same in his own bathroom, and by the time she's finished her nighttime routine, she sees him sitting in her bed.

"I'm not talking about it," she tells him instantly as she gets under the sheets.

"Jade—"

"I said I'm not talking about it, Beck." She turns off her lamp and pulls the covers up to her shoulders, and Beck is forced to drop the subject for the night.

"Goodnight," he says, and drops a kiss to her hair. He curls his body around hers and wraps an arm across her middle, so she snuggles her back against his chest.

In the nine hours before morning, Jade's nightmares wake both of them up three different times. Beck is worried sick, and Jade is exhausted. He kisses her shoulder softly. "Stay in bed, okay? Get some more rest. I'll tell Georgia you're still sleeping."

"If you say a word..."

"I won't. Please, just, sleep. You need it."

Jade grabs her sleeping mask off of her nightstand to block the natural sunlight, and Beck kisses her head before leaving to go get breakfast. Tiger follows him out of the room and downstairs, and Beck can smell the blueberry pancakes before he reaches the kitchen.

"Morning, Georgia."

"Hi, darling. Jade still sleeping?"

He's surprised that she would assume he'd know the answer to that question, but he remembers to act clueless. "I guess so."

"I hope she slept well. She scared me half to death yesterday. I mean, trust me, I despise Mitchell probably about as much as she does, but she _lives_ with him; I assumed she'd be used to the asshole by now."

Beck, knowing that he wouldn't get answers from Jade, decides to take the opportunity to press Georgia for questions. "How long have he and Anna been married?"

"Six years—and if you ask me, it was the second biggest mistake of her life."

"What was the first?" He asks as he shuffles dog food into Tiger's bowl.

"Jade's father."

"He can't be worse than Mitchell."

"Oh, he was. I begged her not to leave with him, but she had made up her mind." Georgia sets two plates of pancakes on the table for she and Beck. "Anna hated Burley and hated me, but she loved Steven." She sighs. "Steven West. He was charming and cute and a terrible influence on her, and she fell in love with him. Without even telling me, she packed her things and hopped in his car to Vegas."

"She left you?"

"Mhmm. Nineteen years old. Her father was furious. My husband never liked Steven, and Anna insisted that we just didn't understand and weren't being fair. Next thing I knew, of course, she was pregnant. Steven stayed until Jade was two years old, and then he got tired and left her and Anna by themselves. Anna had no money whatsoever, so she was forced to come back to Burley. She hated it, but she needed Harry and I to watch Jade while she went to school and worked two jobs."

Beck nods and swallows a bite of his pancake. "I bet that was nice, to get to see your granddaughter, at least."

"Oh, it was a dream," Georgia answers him with a smile. "Jade was so lively. She was brilliant, always asking questions and playing pretend." Beck grins attentively. "She loved reading and singing, and she always insisted that she help me when I made my banana muffins."

"When did Anna leave again?" Beck asks, still curious for more details.

"Two years later, when Jade was three. Anna took her to California, where she got a job as a real estate agent. They were in a tiny shack of an apartment in Los Angeles, but Anna was just happy to be away from us." She shrugs sadly. "I didn't see Jade again until my husband, Harry, died three years later. Anna brought Jade up to Burley for the funeral and to be with me for a few days, but she was gone as soon as she'd come."

"I'm sorry. About Mr. Wilson, and about Anna."

"You're sweet. My husband was a longtime alcoholic. It's why Anna drinks too much, even though she denies it. I convinced her to let Jade spend a few summers with me when she was in elementary school, which she agreed to, and Jade loved it here. And then Mitchell happened."

Beck tries not to noticeably tense up. "Jade's step-dad."

"Yep. Mitchell Lacey, the extremely wealthy investment banker from Santa Barbara. The first time I met him, I thought Anna might have actually picked a good one. I had flown down to LA for Jade's fifth grade talent show, and he was actually there with Anna. He seemed nice and committed, and he was definitely a step up from Steven. But it didn't last. Mitchell had way too much money, and Anna took advantage. They started fighting, she started drinking, and the cycle began."

Beck is listening so intently that he almost doesn't notice when Tiger appears at his feet, wanting to be picked up. Beck lifts the puppy into his arms and begins stroking him gently while waiting for Georgia to continue.

"One time, I flew down to surprise Jade for her eleventh birthday. I didn't tell Anna I was coming, and when I got to the house, she was drunk and had a bruised jaw. I could have sworn that Mitchell hit her, but she denied it five hundred times. I quadruple checked Jade to make sure she was free of any marks, but she was blissfully ignorant and only had good things to say about him."

Hard as it is not to open his mouth, Beck keeps his promise to Jade. "How long will they be here for?"

"According to Anna, only a few days. They're not staying here, though; they'll be at a hotel in the town center. Anna wants to leave before the 4th of July Festival on Friday, supposedly because she doesn't want to see a lot of people. I don't know how she's naive enough to think that she won't run into just about everyone in this town in the three days that she's here, but whatever."

Later that afternoon, Beck and Jade drive to the hospital to see Cat. Keeping one hand on the wheel, Beck reaches his other hand across to hold Jade's. "You're sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"For the hundredth time, yes. Beck, I'm fine."

"You don't have to be okay. It's alright if you're freaking out. I'm freaking out, and I'm not the one who..." He stops himself and brings her hand up to his lips to kiss it. "Please, just promise me you'll tell me when you're ready to talk about it. Tomorrow is going to come faster than you think."

"I know. I'll be fine." Beck almost opens his mouth to argue, but she speaks first. "Is Andre already there with Cat?"

"Yeah. He's been there since this morning, actually. He said they've just been playing cards and watching movies."

"Wow. He's really dedicated for someone who barely knows her."

Beck smiles. "Andre's a good guy. I'm not surprised."

When they arrive in Cat's hospital room, Andre is laying on the bed with her. His arm is around her as she sleeps against him, and The Wizard of Oz plays on the TV screen in front of them. Andre had turned the volume down when Cat fell asleep, and he himself had barely dozed off when he hears Beck and Jade come in.

"Hey," Beck says quietly, smiling at his friend. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's good." Andre sits up a little straighter but is careful not to wake Cat. "She got the chills real bad about an hour ago, so they pumped a sedative into her to help her fall asleep for a nap. Part of the withdrawal symptoms, they said. The good news is that they think she should be able to move to the rehab center by this Thursday."

"Wow, that's great," Beck offers. "How has she been today?"

"Good and bad. She's happy until she realizes she can't have her fix, and then it gets ugly." Andre sighs. "What are we going to do when all of us have work during the day and can't come be with her?"

"I can come tomorrow and Wednesday, and on Tuesday I don't work anyways," Jade says, surprising both boys. "Bradley is giving me the week off to spend time with my mom and step-dad, which is not going to happen. I'll be here."

"Well, that worked out. You sure you're cool with that, J?"

"Anything is better than being with my parents. I'm sure."

Just as Beck had said it would, Monday comes fast. Jade has two nightmares the night before Anna and Mitch are set to arrive, and Beck is already panicking about how the three days will go.

After breakfast, Beck has to leave for his first day of work. Jade walks him out to the truck and grabs onto his hand tightly.

"Do you have to leave?"

He frowns. "I'm sorry. My shift ends at 5, so I'll be back for dinner."

Jade nods and puts on a brave face. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Have fun on your first day."

"Thanks." He leans in to give her a quick kiss and squeezes her hand. "See you on my lunch break."

"Okay," she says, but Beck doesn't move. "I'll be fine. I'll say hi to them, and then I'll leave to go to the hospital."

"You're sure you don't just want to tell Georgia?"

"And _that's_ the end of this conversation. You're going to be late. Go. I'll be okay."

He sighs and gets into the driver's seat. "See you in a few hours." Beck kisses her forehead, and Jade goes back inside before either of them can stalk him anymore.

When she walks through the front door, Georgia is putting her famous banana muffins into the oven. "Is Beck excited for his first day?"

Jade fakes a smile. "I think so." She bends down to greet Tiger, who is jumping up at her. "He's a little nervous, but I know he wants the job so badly."

"Good." Georgia pats at the table and takes her usual seat. "Sit down with me for a minute." Jade does as she asks, even though she knows what her grandmother wants to talk about. She sets Tiger in her lap and he sits calmly there.

"I know you don't want your mother and Mitchell here. Anna is one thing; her jackass husband is another. What I don't want is for _you_ to worry about anything. I will handle them and deal with the bullshit they'll surely bring into this house. Understand?" Jade nods. "Good. Now, they should be here in about half an hour. I don't know what their plans for the day are, but I do know we're all having dinner here tonight. I've invited Bradley because he's the only one who doesn't have anything against Mitchell, and he's always cordial."

"Good, then maybe I can try again to talk him into letting me work on Wednesday."

Georgia chuckles. "Maybe when he meets Mitchell, he'll reconsider."

Forty-five minutes later, the doorbell rings. Jade has her bag packed of art supplies and books, ready to leave to see Cat at the hospital as soon as she's said hello to her mother and step-dad. She sets it on the couch, and she and Georgia go to answer the door together.

"Anna," the older woman says as the wooden door opens. "Wow, I'm seeing you two times in one summer. I think that's a record, huh?"

"Oh, mother, how I have missed your sarcasm." Anna pulls her sunglasses over her head puts them back into the black case. "There's my daughter," she says, her eyes landing on Jade. "You're surviving, I see."

"I've never had a problem being in Burley, mom. That was just you."

"Why don't we go inside?" Anna suggests. "It's hot as hell out here."

The four of them head into the house and Georgia gives her granddaughter's hand a rough squeeze.

"It's good to see you, Jade." Mitchell's voice sends chills down her spine and she refuses to meet his eyes for more than a second. "You too, Georgia."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, this has been nice," Jade offers, "but I have somewhere to be."

"What? Jade, we came all the way here just to see you, and you're leaving barely a minute after we get here?" Anna sounds appropriately hurt, and Jade sighs.

"I really have to go."

"It can't wait half an hour?"

"We did have a long flight," Mitchell adds, and Georgia rolls her eyes.

"I'll stay for thirty minutes. But then I have to go," Jade insists. She takes her seat at the table and Georgia pats her leg affectionately.

"How has your summer been?" Anna asks her, and it baffles Jade that the question seems genuine.

"It's been fine. I got a job, and a dog." She doesn't dare mention Beck.

"So it's yours," Anna replies as she eyes the puppy in Jade's lap.

"Yeah."

"Well, we've sure missed having you around the house," Mitchell adds, and Jade tries not to cringe. "Things are certainly a lot more...boring."

"I'm glad to see you're liking Burley, though." Anna takes a sip of her coffee. "Completely shocked, but glad. I thought you two would kill each other."

"Oh, no," Georgia answers. "Jade's practically been a dream."

"Mhmm. And what about that boy? Where is he?"

Mitchell's ears perk up at his wife's question. "Boy?"

"The yard boy. I met him when I dropped Jade off. Does he still work for you?"

"Yes, Beck still works here," the older woman replies. "He and Jade have appreciated having someone their own age around."

"Around? How often is he here?" Mitch asks.

Georgia knows her next words may invoke a heart attack from the people sitting across from her, but she couldn't care less. "He lives here."

On cue, Anna nearly chokes on her muffin. "_Lives here_? Under this roof? With my daughter?"

"Keep your hair on, Anna. He has his own room apart from Jade's, and he is an excellent houseguest."

"Excuse me," Mitch interrupts, "but how in the hell did you think it was okay to go about this living situation without letting her parents know?"

Georgia's eyebrows rise into her hair and Jade realizes how badly she doesn't want to be a part of this conversation. "First of all, you're not my parent," she says, pointing at her step-dad. "Second, don't get pissed at Georgia for who _she_ invites into _her_ home. And third, I'm leaving. Have a nice day, or don't. I'll be back for dinner."

Anna tries to protest, but Jade is already grabbing Tiger's leash from the hook by the door and getting her backpack on. "See ya," she calls as she heads out the door, leaving the three adults alone in the kitchen.

When she makes it to the hospital, Jade takes off her backpack and squats down to her puppy's level. Unzipping the backpack, she fits Tiger inside comfortably and leaves it partially unzipped so that he still has air. Immediately, she walks into the hospital and up to the help desk. "Caterina Valentine's room, please."

Minutes later, she pushes open the door to find Cat sitting up in her hospital bed.

"Hi," Jade says, uncharacteristically soft.

"Jade! You came to see me!"

"Yep. I, uh... You're not allergic to dogs, are you?"

"No, I love them! Why?"

"You can't tell anyone about this; I'm pretty sure this is against hospital code." Cat watches curiously as Jade sets her backpack carefully on the ground. When she unzips the main pocket, she lifts the Dalmatian puppy out. Cat gasps and Jade cuddles her puppy close to her. "This is Tiger. He's mine, and, kind of Beck's, too."

"Oh my goodness. Oh, he's such a cutie pie! Can I hold him?"

Jade nods and sets the puppy cautiously into Cat's arms, and then leans against her bed. Tiger crawls happily around the redhead, and the settles for curling up into her lap when she starts petting his head.

"Thanks for bringing him by. And for coming. I know we don't really know each other, and you don't have a reason to be nice to me."

"Trust me, I'd way rather be here than at home right now." Cat nods understandingly. "Besides," Jade sighs, "you helped Beck out a lot, and I probably wouldn't know him if it weren't for you."

"Beck is a sweetheart, isn't he?"

Jade's head feels like it's spinning just from talking about him, and she wonders when that started happening. "He's a great guy," she answers. Sensing Cat's naivety, Jade decides to press for information. "How did you meet him?"

The redhead continues stroking Tiger contently. "He didn't tell you?"

"No, he did, sort of. I just...want to hear your side." She smiles, which wins Cat over.

"Well," she starts, and Jade can tell she likes to tell stories, "when I picked him up, we were almost out of Nebraska." Jade tries not to act surprised; she knows she has to keep a straight face if she's pretending she already knows this. "He was going to Phoenix to live with his uncle, but, since he was hitchhiking his way there, he ended up in Nebraska. He said some guy dropped him off there, and I think he was mad about it. He didn't have anywhere to go, so we convinced him to come to Idaho with us."

"We?"

Cat's face falls, and Jade worries she's hit a nerve. "I—I'm sorry. You don't have to—"

"Lola." A single tear rolls down Cat's face, which she wipes away embarrassedly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry."

The smaller girl shakes her head. "You didn't know. Lola was... Well, she was the closest thing I had to a friend. She was only thirteen, but she was more mature than me. She always mapped where we were going and she always bought me candy." A few more tears fall. "She gave Beck a whole lot of shit, but she liked him. She called him Hollywood," Cat chuckles, and then almost instantly sobers. "Her dad found her, though." Her tone seems almost lifeless now, and it gives Jade goose bumps. "Her dad came all the way up from Midland. I don't know how he found out she was in Idaho; maybe someone reported her as a runaway. He forced her into the car to take her back to Texas, so she shot herself right then and there."

It's quiet for a long five minutes. "I'm really sorry, Cat."

"Yeah. I miss her."

Jade nods. "You really helped her, you know? Just like you helped Beck. I know they both appreciate that."

Cat sighs, and Tiger snuggles closer to her. "Tell me about you and Beck. I don't want to think about Lola anymore."

"About me and Beck?"

"Yeah. Aren't you his girlfriend?"

"Yes."

Cat smiles and closes her eyes, like a child prepared for a bedtime story. "So, tell me about it."

Meanwhile, Beck is surprised at how quickly his lunch break comes. Having worked since he was about eight years old, he's never had a job in which everyone is so nice to him and he actually enjoys what he's doing. At noon, the chef makes him three free sandwiches, and Beck thanks him graciously. He drives to the hospital, and comes in see Jade and Cat playing a game of Uno. Tiger is playing on the floor with his tennis ball, and races over to Beck as soon as he walks in the door.

"You brought him here?" He asks his girlfriend, wide-eyed as the puppy jumps up at his knees.

"Yeah." She shrugs. "Cat likes him, and we just hide him when the nurses come in."

Beck laughs and sets the bag of food down before picking up Tiger and cuddling him in his arms. The puppy licks and bites at Beck, who walks over to kiss Jade. "What have you two been up to?"

"Mostly just talking and playing with Tiger," Cat answers happily. "I like your girlfriend, Beck."

He laughs. "Me too."

When Beck has to leave thirty minutes later, Jade walks him out to the truck. He grabs onto both of her hands and presses a kiss to her forehead. "How was it this morning?"

"Fine."

"_Jaaaade_."

"It was fine. I only stayed for, like, twenty minutes."

"Okay. I'll see you at home?"

"Yep. Get ready for the worst night of your life."

"Hey, at least we'll be there together."

"I guess so," she sighs. "Have a good rest of your day."

"You too, pretty girl." Beck kisses her lips and gets in the truck, leaving his girlfriend to return to Cat.

An hour after he's left, Jade notices that Cat is becoming fidgety. "Jade?" She asks, dropping the colored pencil on her drawing pad.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could do me a little favor?"

Jade looks up from the art piece she's working on. "Sure. What is it?"

Cat doesn't meet her eyes, but instead continues playing with her fingers. "Do you think you could get me a little? Just a little? Just this once? I—I can clean my own needle and I know how to put it in right. Just a little, and then I'll be good. I promise."

Jade's face falls and she sets her drawing on the nearby nightstand. She stands up from her chair next to Cat's bed and sets her palm gently on the redhead's arm. "I know you don't want that. You want to get better, right?"

"Of course, of course. This is why it's just a little. I promise, just a little." She's started to shake now, and Jade is torn between calling a nurse and trying to talk Cat down herself.

"Cat, you've done so well. You haven't had any of that bad stuff in your system in three days. That's really good. You don't want to break that now."

"I know. I know. It's just a little. We're friends, right? You can do it. Just a little."

Jade's heart breaks, but even Cat's eyes are vibrating now, and the tiny girl is starting to pale. "I'm going to call a nurse, okay?"

"N-n-no, no. I'm okay. I just need a little and everything will be better."

"Cat—"

"Don't c-c-call the n-nurse," she begs.

"Cat, you're shaking pretty bad. It's going to be okay." Jade feels a sick feeling in her stomach as she pushes the blue button above Cat's hospital bed to call a nurse. "Try to stay calm, okay? Everything will be fine."

"I-I'm," she stutters, "pl-ease."

Ten minutes later, Cat is sedated and sleepy. Jade puts on a movie of her choice, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and sits next to her to continue her artwork. Around four o'clock, Andre arrives at the hospital after finishing his work day. Cat is in her bed, falling asleep to her second movie of the day. Jade is still sitting next to her, drawing and watching the redhead for any signs of discontent.

"Hey," Andre says softly. He notes the IV hooked up to Cat's arm, and he's been around the redhead enough to know what that means. He approaches her slowly and brushes his hand through her hair soothingly. "Hi, baby girl. Feel okay?"

Cat mumbles something incoherent and nods her head once slowly. Andre looks at Jade, who nods her head. "She made it all day with only one episode. She's done so good, right, Cat?"

A faint smile appears on the redhead's face and she gives a single, weak nod again.

"Good job, baby girl. That's great," he tells her. Jade packs up her backpack and gives Cat's hand a light squeeze. As she's walking out, Andre stops to give her a hug. "Thanks, Jade. It means a lot."

When she gets back to Georgia's house, Anna and Mitchell have already gone back to their hotel. Georgia is out back with Bradley, who is busy slow-cooking the brisket for dinner, so Jade makes her way out there and lets Tiger off his leash.

"Hi, darling. How was the hospital?"

"It was fine. Cat liked getting to play with Tiger, and Beck brought us lunch."

"Good. Any idea when he'll be home?"

"He gets off of work at five, so it won't be long. What's for dinner?" She asks Bradley. "Smells good."

"My famous brisket," he answers with a grin. "This is actually a test, because I'm making about fifteen pounds of this stuff for the festival on Friday, thanks to your grandmother."

"People love it!" Georgia points out. "Besides, what else would your booth be? You're not good at much else." She pats his shoulder and takes a sip of her glass of red wine. Jade smiles at the notion of how happy and comfortable her grandmother is.

By the time Anna and Mitchell arrive for dinner, the food is ready and Beck's nerves are about to blow him up. While he's sworn to Jade that he won't say or do anything related to her past with her step-father, he's already nervous about breaking his promise. When the doorbell rings, Georgia answers it to let the couple in. Behind her, Beck stands beside Jade and fights the urge to hold her hand.

"Anna, you remember Beck," Georgia says once the front door is closed, and gestures to the boy.

"Nice to see you, Mrs. Lacey," he says, shaking her hand.

"Just Anna is fine," the blonde replies. "This is Jade's step-father and my husband, Mitch."

Beck's eyes darken as he firmly shakes the man's hand. "I hear you're living here too," Mitchell says. "Sure is nice of Georgia to take you in."

"Let's stay away from the topic of whom I let inside my home," Georgia says, facing her son-in-law. "I think we all know how lucky _you_ are to be here, Mitchell." She pats his cheek condescendingly and then smiles at Beck. "This is Bradley Dunne. Anna, I'm sure you remember Brad."

"I do. It's been a long time."

"Sure has," the vet agrees, and then moves to give Mitchell an intimidatingly kind handshake. "Nice to meet you."

"Well," Georgia says decidedly, "let's eat, shall we?" She opens a bottle of wine, and she and Bradley begin serving.

"Jade," Mitchell says, nearly half an hour into dinner, "you seem to really be enjoying Burley."

"Yep," she replies, uninterested in giving any extended answer.

"I bet you're excited to come back to California in September, though."

Beck grips his fork tighter and wills himself to keep his mouth shut. "Maybe, maybe not," Jade answers.

"What do you mean?" Anna asks. "Do you want to stay here?"

At this point, everyone's eyes are on Jade. She shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe."

"That's ridiculous!" Mitchell nearly shouts, too aggressively for the casual dinner table.

"Honey, calm down." Anna sets a hand on his arm and watches for his reaction.

"No, hold on. She has to come back to California. It's her home," he argues.

"What in the world are you getting your face red for?" Georgia asks. "If Jade doesn't want to go back, she can always stay here. She's welcome in this home anytime she wants. Hell, she can finish high school here in Burley for all I care. If it makes her happy—"

"How does she know what makes her happy?" Mitchell fires back. "She's barely seventeen."

"Contrary to your ignorant belief," Beck enters the discussion, "Jade knows herself very well."

"Oh, as if you know my daughter better than I do," Mitchell spits back.

"She's not your daughter," Georgia argues.

"So you're saying that this homeless kid you took in knows—"

"That's enough." Bradley's voice booms across the table, silencing Mitchell for the minute. "For as long as you are in this home, you will respect the people who live here."

Beck is shaking. Georgia is furious. Jade is humiliated. Anna is confused beyond belief, and she breaks the silence first. She faces her husband.

"What in the hell is wrong with you? You've made this entire dinner unpleasant, all because Jade said she maybe could want to stay here. Why do you care?"

"Because it's nuts!" He sputters out. "Anna, honey, you have to see where I'm coming from. Our daughter belongs in our home."

"For the love of god, stop calling me your daughter," Jade groans. "I am not in any way related to you, and thank fuck for that."

"Jade, language," her mother pleads.

Georgia would laugh at her granddaughter's candor if it weren't for her instinct coming back into her bones. The dynamic between Mitchell and Jade is, as she's always thought it to be, far too eerie to be normal.

"Why are you so obsessed with the idea of her staying in Burley?" Anna demands. Instead of replying to his wife, Mitchell turns to Jade, on his other side.

"Jade, sweetheart," he says softly, but when he puts his hand on her shoulder, he's interrupted.

"Don't touch her." Beck's voice is low but he's glaring at Mitchell harshly.

Jade shrugs her step-dad's hand off of her shoulder, but Mitchell puts it right back. Georgia gets a sick feeling in her stomach as she watches him rub his fingers against Jade's skin.

"Goddammit, Mitchell," she says, "get your hand off of my granddaughter, or so help me God." Jade pushes his hand away again and, to everyone's confusion, he fights to keep it on her. Jade tries to speak, but her breath hitches in her throat. Without giving it a second thought, Beck reaches across her body to grab Mitchell's arm off of her.

Before Beck can even catch up with what's happening, Mitchell is rising angrily from his seat. Georgia and Anna are yelling at him to sit down. Bradley is prepared to force him out of the house. Jade is sitting, shaking. Beck is smart enough to stand up to defend himself, lest he be sitting down when Mitchell throws the punch that Beck knows is coming.

Mitchell clearly doesn't expect Beck's experience with physical violence, because the younger boy dodges his fist like he's done it a million times. His next punch goes straight to Beck's gut, and at this point all Beck can think about is Mitchell's hands on Jade. Going against every instinct in his body, he defends himself by throwing a punch that hits the man's left eye. It doesn't knock him to the floor, but Bradley's next punch to Mitch's right side does.

Bradley holds Beck by his shoulders as he coughs from having the wind knocked out of him. "It's alright," he says, patting Beck's back to help him breathe. "You okay, son?"

Beck nods and stands up straighter. Jade has made her way over to him and, with tears in her eyes, shakes her head. "What is wrong with you?" She asks, and, two seconds later, throws her arms around him.

Beck sighs heavily into her shoulder and watches over her back as Georgia marches over to Mitchell, who is now sitting on the floor. "You have two options," she tells him. "You stay here, and I call the police. Or you can get the hell out of this house and never come back. You are not welcome here."

Before he can reply, Anna stands up from her seat at the dinner table. "Jade," she says shakily. Her daughter pulls out of Beck's arms and turns around to stand in front of him. "Jade, has Mitchell..." Anna can't bear to finish her sentence, and a tear falls from her crystal blue eye. "You would tell me, right?"

When Jade doesn't answer, Mitchell takes the opportunity to speak for her. "Anna, honey." He stands up. "What are you—"

"Shut up," she snaps at him, and turns back to her daughter. "Jade. Please. Please, I'm begging you."

It's dead quiet in the house, and Jade's silence gives Anna her answer. The blonde brings her hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh," she cries. She looks at her own mother, whose sorrowful expression doesn't change. Tired and not wanting to see her mom cry, Jade turns around and goes upstairs.

When Anna looks at her husband a minute later, her eyes are blazing. Without another word, she throws herself at him and starts hitting him. She's screaming and firing every one of her limbs at him, and, despite the fact he's done it before, Mitchell won't dare hit her—not in front of Georgia.

Bradley pulls her away after about a minute, but Anna is still clearly upset. "How long?" She barks at her husband. He opens his mouth to answer, but she yells it again.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit!" She screams. "Jade and I may not get along perfectly but I damn well know when my daughter is lying to me."

Mitchell sighs. "I told you, Anna. I don't know what you're talking about."

She slaps him before he can finish his sentence. "You think I'm stupid enough to believe that after you hit me? You want me to believe you've never touched Jade?

Georgia puts a distressed hand on her head. She's always known, but this is the first time Anna is admitting it.

"Tell me, Mitchell." When he doesn't answer again, Anna turns towards her mother. "Call the police."

* * *

**review if you like bade tacos ;)**


	9. Chapter Nine

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**Chapter Nine**

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When Georgia wakes up at nine in the morning, she opens her eyes to the empty left side of the bed. It isn't until she remembers that Bradley had slept over that she realizes he's gone. After brushing her teeth, sliding her glasses on, and putting her dark brown hair up, she makes her way into the kitchen to find Bradley making a pot of coffee.

Last night, upon realizing he needed to stay the night at Georgia's, he had driven home to gather a few things he would need. As he stands at the counter, he's still wearing the gray t-shirt and pajama pants that he'd gotten. "Morning," he says, smiling. He hands Georgia a cup of steaming black coffee.

"Good morning." She leans up to kiss his cheek, surprising both of them with how natural it feels. They're vulnerable—they're sleepy and wearing pajamas and nervous about how the day is going to go after the night they'd had. And yet, despite the fact that their relationship has been rather platonic, they act as if they've been married for years.

"I'm worried about her," Georgia admits.

Bradley chuckles lightly. "Which one?"

"Both," she sighs. "It's going to be a long day."

"Yes, it will. But everything will be alright. I closed up shop, so I'll be around as long as you want me to."

"You didn't have to do that," she tells him as they sit down at the table together.

"I wanted to."

She pauses. "Thank you for staying last night. I couldn't have done it without you."

Bradley reaches across the table to hold her hand. "Georgia," he says, more seriously, "I wanted to. I know Anna's not my daughter, but I've known her for her whole life and she needed help. After the night she had, anyone would."

Georgia sighs and nods her head. "I just hope this was a relapse and it doesn't spiral. She's been in AA all summer. Jade told me."

"Well, I think she went through most of a bottle last night, so the hangover today might remind her of why she stopped."

"And what are we going to do about my shit of a son-in-law, hmm? They can only hold him for twenty-four hours unless Anna or Jade testifies. Knowing the two of them, neither will want to."

"Well, darling, that's a tough one," he points out. "If they don't want to, they don't want to. I want the bastard behind bars just as much as you do—but you and I both know that, with as much money and power he's got—he won't stay there for long." He rubs his thumb against her hand soothingly. "If it's easier for Jade and Anna to move on with their lives without him, then maybe that's the best way for them to heal."

She nods. "God, I would just hate to see him get away like that. And I'm worried about how Jade will be able to move on now that Anna knows. And speaking of Jade, she's usually up by now... I'm going to go up and check on her. I'll be right back."

Georgia goes up the wooden stairs quietly, careful not to make any noises that might wake any of the three people still sleeping. When she creaks open Jade's door, her eyes widen at the sight before her.

Jade is on her side, sleeping peacefully. Behind her is Beck, also fast asleep and curled against Jade's body with his arms wrapped around her. She stares for a few quick seconds, marveling at how the two of them got to be so comfortable with each other, before backtracking and closing the door again.

When she re-enters the kitchen, Georgia plops back down in her chair. She looks up at Bradley. "Is it too early for a glass of wine?"

He raises his eyebrows. "It's nine in the morning. What happened?"

"They were sleeping together. Her and Beck. Both of them, in her bed."

"You mean—"

"No, no. God, no. They were in their pajamas. But, together. They were together."

Bradley chuckles and Georgia looks at him desperately. "What? What's funny?"

"Georgia, darling, did you really think two teenagers—ones who are very obviously in love—living under the same roof, who weren't going to want to sleep in the same bed?"

"Love? You think they're in love?"

"Well, I can't know for sure," he explains. "But you've seen the way they look at each other. And I see, three days a week when Beck comes to bring her lunch, how he walks in like a guy about to accept a million dollar check. He grins from ear to ear and her mood goes from zero to a hundred the second she sees him."

"Oh, god." Georgia rests her jaw in her palm. "I mean, I knew they were sweet on each other and I caught them holding hands once. But I just... I don't know. I never assumed they'd fallen in love."

"Don't say anything, Georg. You don't want to embarrass them. Maybe they haven't told each other yet, or maybe they haven't even realized it."

She nods and sips on her coffee. "I change my mind. I don't need wine; I need tequila."

Bradley laughs. "We'll see about that."

Half an hour later, the couple is working together to make breakfast tacos when Beck and Jade come trudging down the stairs. Tiger scampers down beside them and jumps around until they fill his food and water bowls.

"How'd you sleep?" Brad asks as Beck makes he and Jade each a cup of coffee.

"Better than I thought I would," he answers honestly. "I'm glad you stayed." He shakes Bradley's hand genuinely. "It was really good to have you here last night."

The four sit around the table for breakfast, and Georgia watches Jade for any sign of discomfort. She's quieter than usual, but she clearly doesn't want to talk about it so Georgia doesn't push the subject. Instead, they make surprisingly casual conversation about the 4th of July festival on Friday.

After breakfast, Beck and Jade take Tiger on a walk around the property. Despite Jade's desire to get back in bed, Beck finally convinces her to get fresh air and walk with him. By the time they get back, they see Anna lying on the couch in the living room. A tall glass of water sits on the coffee table beside her, and a cool rag rests on her forehead.

"Mom?"

Anna opens her eyes and looks up at her daughter. Beck gives Jade a reassuring nod, and then disappears to find Georgia and Bradley in the kitchen.

"She woke up about ten minutes ago," the matriarch answers his question before Beck asks it. "She's nauseous and her migraine is killing her, but she's okay."

When Jade walks further into the room, she sits on the chair across from the big couch. "Hey."

"Hi," Anna replies weakly. Neither of them speaks for another few minutes, until Anna breaks the silence. "Jade, I'm so sorry."

Jade wants to interrupt her, but she knows that it would be more helpful for Anna to get to say it out loud.

"You have to believe," she says, speaking slowly, "that if I had known, I would have done something. You have believe me. But, that being said, Jade... If you hate me, and you don't want to forgive me—I understand. I do." She shakes her head. "I'm a terrible mother for letting this happen to you, and I—" She chokes out the word, and although crying will only make her headache worse, she can't help it. "I'm so, so sorry."

Jade stares silently at the carpet for five minutes. A part of her wants to ask Anna why she didn't recognize that Mitchell was bad news after he hit her—but she knows the answer. She's taken enough psychology and read enough books to know why women stay in abusive relationships. Seeing her mother now, though—relapsing and depressed and on the verge of a divorce—Jade makes a promise to herself to never be one of those women.

"I'm just glad that you're getting away from him," she finally decides on. "He can't hurt you, or me, anymore."

Anna nods shakily as she cries into her palms.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?" She mumbles.

"The only thing that you can do right now to make anything better is to promise me something." Anna wipes the tears off of her cheeks and looks up at Jade, whom she can barely see because her booming headache is affecting her sight. "You have to promise me that you won't start drinking again. I know last night was rough and I know it's hard for you. But if you want any chance of us ever moving on from this—and even having a relationship—you can't go back to the bottle."

Anna puts her hand on her head to help soothe her migraine. "Can you hand me the water?" Jade does, and her mother takes a long and sobering sip. After she hands it back to Jade, who sets it on the table, and sighs heavily. "I promise. I promise, Jade. I'll go back to AA. I'll do what it takes. I don't want to disappoint you anymore." It's silent for a minute until Anna speaks again.

"Jade... I want to know what you think about, maybe, going down to the police—"

"No," the younger girl cuts her off. "I don't want to. Let him go, Mom. He'll get away with it anyways."

"But—"

"If you want to go testify against him for what he did to you, by all means, go. I'm serious. You deserve to. But I'm not saying a word."

Anna nods. "Are you sure? I don't want you to regret this."

"Trust me, I won't. I've moved on. Get some rest, okay?"

Anna sighs and closes her eyes in consent, and Jade heads back up to her bedroom. She's not sure how a twenty-minute conversation left her so emotionally exhausted, but she can barely keep her eyes open anymore once she hits her pillow.

She wakes up an hour later to a pair of brown eyes watching her.

"Hi," Beck says, a frown on his face as he leans in to kiss her forehead. He's running his fingers through the long, dark hair that's splattered across her pillow. "Why didn't you come get me before you came up here to sleep?"

"I'm sorry. I was just tired after talking to my mom."

"How did that go?"

Jade shrugs. "As well as it could have gone for what it was, I guess."

"I'm guessing you still don't want to talk about last night."

"That would be correct."

He sighs. "Alright then. How about something only slightly related to last night?"

"Beck," her tone warns him.

"No, really. I just... I wanted to know if you meant what you said. About staying in Burley." He pauses. "It's okay if you didn't. Of course it's okay, because, California compared to here—well, there really is no comparison. I don't even know why you would want to stay here. I just know you said it, and I wanted to know if...well, if you were serious."

She keeps her eyes on his and takes in how cute he is when he talks so nervously. After a minute, she decides not to keep torturing him with her lack of a reply.

"I meant it."

"You—wait, you, you did?"

"Yeah. I did. As for your question of why... Other than the fact that my mom needs time alone to get her life back in order, long distance relationships suck. I mean, I've never had one, so I can't say for sure. But being eight hundred miles away from the boy I love sounds downright miserable."

Beck swallows hard and stares at her. "You—" he stammers. "You love me?"

Jade feels her face flush hot and she breaks eye contact to look in the opposite direction. "You don't have to make it awkward."

"Well, you don't know how long I've wanted to say that."

Jade turns her head to meet his eyes again. "What?"

"I didn't want to pressure you. I felt like saying that would mean you'd have to stay here at the end of the summer. But, Jade, I love you more than anyone I've ever met. I'm in love with you, and I hope that's okay."

She tries to keep a straight face, but after everything that happened last night it feels like a weight is lifted off of her chest, and she can't hold back her smile anymore. Beck grins, too, and then Jade feels completely idiotic, so she leans forward to kiss him. What starts as a sweet, slow kiss, eventually ends in him rolling over her to deepen it.

"I hope you know that this is completely weird," she mumbles between kisses. "And two people meeting and falling in love in barely two months is not normal."

"I happen to think normal is boring," he replies, kissing her again. Jade doesn't know how long they make out for, but what she does know is that neither of them seems to be able to get enough. Somewhere in the process, her shirt comes off and flies to land somewhere across the room.

Jade's arms are tightening around his back when she pulls away again. "So we're okay with the fact that this is insane and that we're going to have to try seriously hard to make it work?"

"I'm okay with it," he answers between kisses.

She rolls over so that she's laying on him, chest-to-chest. "Good, me too." She manages to continue kissing him as she undoes the buttons on his shirt, allowing it to join her own shirt on the ground.

Beck is satisfied with their position for a few more minutes, until he moves to hover over her again. "So I can say it now," he points out, sliding one hand up her back.

"You—can say what?" She barely manages to get her words out because Beck has somehow unclasped her bra.

"I can say _I love you_. Anytime I want."

"Well, not any—_ahh_," a moan accidentally chops her word in half, thanks to Beck enclosing his hand over one breast. "Not anytime. Not in front of anyone else."

"Just to you is fine," he promises, dragging his lips up her skin to meet her lips again. "As long as I can tell you I love you," he says, kissing the valley between her breasts. "All," kiss, "day," kiss, "long. That's good enough for me."

The moan that escapes his girlfriend's lips is enough of a response for Beck. He kisses back up her neck and to her mouth, and they make out for another ten minutes. By the time they part to catch their breaths, both of their lips are swollen.

"Wow," Beck says, breathing heavily as he turns his head to look at her, "being in love is /great/." Jade laughs and rolls her eyes. "I wish we could stay here all day, but since I don't have a shift at work until tonight, I'm going to do some yard work during the day."

Jade pauses. "Can I help?" Beck's eyebrows shoot up and Jade looks offended. "Don't look so surprised! I can do yard work!"

"Baby, have you ever had to pull weeds? It's not so glamorous."

"If you can do it, pretty boy, so can I," she insists. "Let's go; you're going to teach me."

"Wow. Okay. I need to tell Georgia to get out the camera."

Jade pushes his shoulder and he chuckles, and they get dressed in clothes appropriate for the task before heading downstairs. Anna is asleep on the couch, but Georgia and Bradley are working on something for the festival as they sit at the kitchen table together.

"Where are you two off to?" The vet asks. It's not lost on Georgia how the two of them seem to be positively glowing, but she says nothing.

"Jade's going to help me pull weeds." Beck can barely get the words out without laughing, and Georgia is right alongside him.

"Alright, you two—can it," Jade demands. "I can get on my knees and pull some grass out of the ground."

"I don't doubt it for a second," Georgia promises, smiling. "I'll make some lemonade in a bit and bring it out there."

When they get out to the yard, Beck leads his girlfriend over to the spot they'll start in. Once they're on their knees, Beck shows her the method behind effectively pulling weeds without damaging any of the good grass.

"So, I pull here?"

"No, you have to go further down. If you don't pull from the bottom, you'll only get out the top part of the weed."

Jade lowers her hand until she can't see anymore of the plant, and pulls as hard as she can. When the root comes flying out of the ground, dirt goes everywhere and splatters across their legs. Jade's jaw drops, and Georgia and Bradley lose it laughing from where they watch in the window.

Beck purses his lips. "I forgot to tell you that you have to use one hand to hold down the soil so that that doesn't happen."

"Thanks for that."

He grins. "But hey, you did it!"

It takes her a solid twenty minutes to get the hang of it, but soon she's going at about half his pace. Georgia brings out lemonade and a water bowl for Tiger, who is running in circles around the yard.

"Darling, I'm impressed," she says, handing her granddaughter a glass of lemonade. Half an hour later, Beck rolls the lawnmower out of the shed.

"Am I supposed to know how to do this?" Jade folds her arms over her chest and stares at the machine.

"No," Beck laughs, and he leans in to kiss her because they're not in sight of any window. "I'll do this. You don't have to help me anymore, although I have loved having you keep me company."

"Well, there has to be something else I can do. I'll get bored if I go inside."

Beck thinks. "You could water the flowers?"

When she agrees, he gets her set up with the hose and explains which flowers need to be watered and for how long. Once she has the hang of it, Beck starts up the lawnmower and gets to work on trimming the grass.

Later that afternoon, when Beck has gone to work after dropping Jade off at the hospital to visit Cat, Anna wakes up on the couch of her mother's house. As soon as Georgia notices, she walks over to check on her.

"How's the migraine?"

Anna squints one eye. "Better than this morning." She closes her eyes for a few seconds. "Can I say something, before you rant?"

"Who said I was going to rant?" Georgia defends herself.

"Mother, I may not have lived with you since I was twenty-three, but I know your judging look before it even shows up on your face."

Georgia shrugs. "Alright. Go ahead."

Anna sighs and sits up straighter on the couch. "I know I fucked up," she begins. "I know I've been a terrible mom, and that I'm an idiot for not thinking twice about Mitchell."

"Are we being brutally honest in this conversation?" Georgia asks, prompting the blonde to roll her eyes.

"I suppose so."

"Then yes, you were an idiot. I always knew he hit you and you knew that I knew. And you still denied it."

Anna rubs her forehead in a soothing motion. "I know. I know that. And I know that I need to talk to Jade about what happened, but I don't think that either one of us is ready for that just yet." Anna looks up at Georgia, desperation and exhaustion in her face. "I'm going to get my shit together. I will."

Georgia nods slowly and pats her daughter's hand. "I'll leave the subject alone for now, but I need you to answer me two things. First: have you talked to Jade about going down to the police station?"

"She won't go."

"I figured." Georgia bites her lip. "You know, she's really so mature for her age, Anna. She's smart, and she's funny. She's happy. I've never seen her so happy."

"Is it because of him?"

"Well, I don't doubt that he's a part of it. Beck has helped her move on, helped her relax. He gets her out of her comfort zone."

Anna stares at her glass of water. "I guess I haven't been the most welcoming towards him."

"I would agree with that. But, I promise you, there is such a thing as a second impression. Or, in your case, a third. If there's anyone who is willing to let you start over, it's Beck."

"She really likes him, doesn't she?"

"She really does," Georgia answers, nodding. "Now, the second thing I need to ask you: would you really be okay if Jade wanted to stay here?"

"Are we still being brutally honest?"

"Sure."

"Mother, Jade won't last here. She thinks that you and the boy and a part-time job as a secretary will be enough to keep her happy, but she won't make it more than a few more months here. She is a California girl; it's in her bones. She loves the weather, she loves her school, and she loves the city. I want the same thing as you do; I want her to be happy. And I know that she is happy now, during the summer, when she needed a break from my household for obvious reasons. But, come September or October, she'd be itching to get back. I mean, what is she, going to go to Burley High School? She'd rip her hair out."

Georgia takes a deep breath and considers her daughter's words. "I don't know what she wants, or if she's even serious about staying in Burley," the older woman says. "But, if she does want to stay, she knows she has a room in this house. Is that okay with you?

"If she really wants to stay, I owe that to her."

Georgia nods. "Then I guess we'll just leave it up to her."

.

On Thursday afternoon, Beck, Jade, and Andre visit Cat in her brand new room at the Middleton Rehabilitation and Treatment Center. She'd been moved there just hours earlier when the three teenagers enter the room, which is considerably nicer than her room at the hospital. During their stay, Beck pulls aside one of Cat's nurses in the hallway.

"Ma'am? I was wondering if, maybe, there was a possibility that we could take Cat to the festival tomorrow? It would only be for a couple of hours, but I think it would make her really happy."

The nurse frowns. "I'm sorry, but there's no way that Caterina is ready to leave so soon—even if it's just a quick trip. She only got here yesterday, and she needs to take her time getting used to this environment."

"Okay. Just thought I'd ask. Thanks, anyways."

When he re-enters the hospital room, Beck gives Andre and Jade a subtle headshake to let them know the verdict. Cat, oblivious to the fact that Beck had asked in the first place, is blissfully drawing on a page in the blank book Jade had brought for her yesterday. The four teenagers stay in the room for several hours, talking and keeping Cat's spirits high, until the redhead becomes noticeably tired.

Beck and Jade say their goodbyes, and Andre puts a movie on for him and Cat to watch together. She requests, as she usually does, for him to join her on the bed so that she can snuggle next to him. As they lay together and the movie's opening credits start, she looks up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Andre?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so sweet to me?"

Andre considers himself lucky that she's too tired to notice details, because he doesn't want her to know how his heartbeat begins to speed up in a nervous excitement. "Well, because we're friends," he answers simply.

"No one has ever taken care of me like you do," she tells him, closing her eyes as she leans against his chest.

"Cat," he says, running a hand through her curly hair, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?" Cat nods sleepily and Andre kisses her forehead, falling asleep until the nurse comes in at eight to let him know visiting hours are over.

Meanwhile, Beck and Jade return home at the same time as Georgia and Bradley. The older couple had been busy in the town square all day long, Georgia overseeing the festival booths being set up and Bradley helping with the work. Anna wakes up from the nap she'd taken upon hearing everyone enter the home, and the five of them sit down for dinner together.

"You know your mother is staying for the festival tomorrow," Georgia informs her granddaughter, opening the table's discussion.

Jade looks over at Anna with raised eyebrows. "You're going?"

"I haven't been in fourteen years; I might as well make a change," Anna answers, earning a smile from Georgia.

"It's going to be wonderful," the older woman promises. "The booths look great and the weather is supposed to be perfect."

"Beck, you're still helping me with the barbeque stand, right?" Bradley asks as he digs into the chicken that Georgia had made.

"Absolutely. And, in my opinion, we should tell every single one of our customers to head over across the street to get their faces painted." Beck grins and Jade huffs dramatically.

"You're the worst," she informs him.

Anna looks up from her plate and at her daughter. "Are you doing a face painting booth?"

"Unfortunately. Grandma guilt-tripped me into it."

The blonde stifles a laugh. "Now that's something I would actually love to see." She smiles. "You're a great artist, though, Jade. You're the best person for the job."

"That's exactly what I said," Georgia points out. "As long as she doesn't snap the necks of any kids, she'll be just fine." She winks at her granddaughter and Beck laughs.

After dinner, Anna goes up to her old bedroom to turn in early. While Bradley takes Beck out back to show him all of the meat they'll be cooking together tomorrow, Jade helps her grandmother with the dishes.

"I have to tell you something," Jade says, avoiding eye contact as Georgia hands her a glass to dry.

"Well, come here, let's sit down." Georgia moves towards the table, but Jade shakes her head.

"No, no." She grips the counter until her knuckles are whiter than the rest of her hand, and Georgia leans against the sink to give her granddaughter her full attention.

"What's up?"

Jade is staring intently at the ground, but Georgia waits patiently. After a full minute has passed, she finally opens her mouth.

"Beck and I," she starts, slowly and still muttering towards the floor. "We're, sort of—"

"Together?" Georgia finishes for her, and Jade's eyes dart up to meet hers. Jade bites her lip and the older woman smiles warmly.

"I-I know it's weird," Jade stammers.

"Why is it weird?"

Jade stares at her blankly. "I don't know. I guess because we only met at the beginning of the summer. And we live under the same roof."

"It's unusual, sure," Georgia concedes with a shrug of her shoulder. "But I'm fine with it."

Jade narrows her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. "Beck told you already, didn't he?"

"What? No, why would you think that?"

"You're acting so casual about it! You hardly seemed fazed at all. Here I am, your seventeen-year-old—"

"Sixteen," Georgia corrects.

"Only for another week, and that's besides the point. The point is that I just told you that I'm in a relationship with a boy that also lives in this house, who also happens to be your employee, and you're barely reacting at all."

"Jade Georgia West." Georgia shakes her head and laughs to herself. "If you think that you and Beck were keeping yourselves a secret, you need to reconsider a few things, my dear. It hardly takes half a brain to see that you two are practically attached at the hip, not to mention the fact that you finish each other's sentences and stare at each other for an amount of time that would be considered downright creepy for two people who aren't together. Hell, Bradley knew from the second day you started working for him that you had feelings for Beck. If you wanted to keep it a secret, you could have tried _not_ staring at the door while you waited for him to get you for lunch."

Jade is speechless, but that doesn't stop the wave of relief from washing over her. Now that her grandmother and Bradley know about them, she can stop pretending like Beck doesn't drive her crazy in the best way possible.

Later that night, Beck goes into Jade's room as soon as he's changed into his pajamas. While she washes her face in the bathroom, he sits on her bed and waits. "Hi," he says, after she's finished and is walking towards him. Beck extends his hands towards her for her to take, and he uses them to help pull her onto the bed.

"Hi," she replies against his lips, and kisses him until they're laying down together. Beck hovers over her and Jade pushes her hands up against his chest. "Wait. Go lock the door."

His eyebrows shoot up. "You sure?"

"Yes. Go. Hurry."

Beck does as she asks and, within seconds, returns to Jade to continue their previous activities. She pulls his shirt off first, and she squirms underneath him until he takes her t-shirt off to reveal her braless chest.

Before he gets himself too worked up, he pulls back from her lips to look in her eyes. "I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"Okay," she says, her breath still hitched from the effect he's already having on her.

"Promise you'll tell me when to stop."

"I promise." Jade pulls him back down and Beck, having learned some of what she likes, trails his kisses down to her breasts. In an attempt to get a feel for her comfort level, Beck slowly rubs one hand down her hip. Jade involuntarily pushes up toward him, and a whine escapes her lips.

"You can take them off," she tells him. Carefully, Beck pulls her underwear and pajama shorts jointly down her legs, leaving her completely naked. He wants to comment on how beautiful she is, but he doesn't know if it would come off more pervy than sweet, so he busies his lips elsewhere.

Beck kisses down her stomach, stealing a bit more of her breath with each one. She bends one leg to set her right foot flat on the bed, giving him the go-ahead.

For six and a half minutes, they work together to make the experience as pleasurable as possible for both of them. Jade tells him what's good versus what isn't, and Beck familiarizes himself with something neither of them has ever done before. At the six-minute-mark, Jade's toes curl and a volcano of heat begins to erupt in the pit of her stomach. For the first time in her life, her body convulses involuntarily and she has to muffle her cry in her pillow.

He leaves her out of breath, and he'd be lying if he said he weren't proud of it. What he hadn't expected was how enjoyable it had been for _him_, which is proven accidentally by his erection. After wiping his lips on his arm, he kisses back up her stomach and plants a kiss on her lips. When he rolls over to lay shoulder-to-shoulder with her, she looks at him.

"Impressive," she says.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then, I'm glad you enjoyed it." He kisses her smile.

"Oh, I definitely did. Seems like you did too, huh?" Beck blushes and this time it's Jade who kisses _him_, and subsequently mounts him across his waist. "My turn."

"Jade, you don't have to."

She furrows her eyebrows. "Beck, do I ever do anything that I don't want to do?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then shut up. And, just so you know, I've never done this. So it could be terrible."

"Is that even possible?"

"I've read horror stories in Cosmo."

"Well, no one's ever done this to me either. So, no pressure."

"Good." She leans down to kiss him, and, as she does, moves her hand into his boxer shorts. As soon as she has him in her hand, Beck groans and Jade laughs against his mouth. "This is fun."

"Jade," he chastises, trying as hard as he can to not make any other involuntary noises as she slides her hand up and down.

"Let's get these off," she decides, pulling his boxers down far enough that he can kick them to the floor. As soon as they're gone, she bends down to kiss his chest. Crawling backwards with her knees, she kisses all the way down his abs until she reaches the bottom. She takes a deep breath, and the next thing Beck knows, he feels her mouth on him.

While Jade gets used to the bobbing pattern and breathing through her nose, Beck can barely see straight. After a short two minutes, he palms her shoulder. "Jade," he says hesitantly.

"Hmm?" She asks, causally and as if she weren't currently giving him a blow job. Her question sends a vibration on his skin, and he's quick to speak again.

"I'm about to…" He trails off, because it's getting harder to speak and he's done his job in warning her, and she's determined to finish. He comes three seconds later, prompting Jade to pull back from him and wipe her mouth off. She takes a deep breath and shrugs her shoulders.

"How was it?"

He grins and drops his head back to the pillow. "_Way_ better than impressive."

She crawls back up to him and kisses his lips. "We should probably put some clothes on, huh?"

"Probably," Beck laughs. Jade sits up to find her t-shirt, but Beck catches her arm before she can move. "Hey," he says, tugging her back towards him. "I love you."

She grins and kisses him. "I love you too, weirdo."

* * *

**I told you last time to review if you liked Bade tacos, and so many people did that I was obliged to do my part.**

**Next up: Burley's 4th of July Festival**

**Review if you like the idea of Beck and Jade in the back seat of a truck during the fireworks show. Hint, hint ;)**


	10. Chapter Ten

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**Chapter Ten**

.

When Caterina Valentine wakes up at ten o'clock on Friday morning, she notices a few things.

Red and blue streamers hang all around her bedroom in the rehabilitation center. Flowers sit on her nightstand table, and three cards are propped up, each from Andre, Jade, and Beck. A small note is taped to her bedside clock.

_We came by to decorate, but you were still sleeping_, Jade's handwriting informs her. _We left cookies that my grandma made for you with your nurse – she said she'd give them to you. Happy 4th of July!_

Meanwhile at Georgia's house, Bradley and Beck are loading things into the truck Georgia had leant Beck. The bed of the red pickup is almost completely full with barbecue utensils and the meat that Bradley had bought to cook for the festival.

Inside, Jade is playing with Tiger, who has grown to be about twice the size he was as a newborn. Holding three treats in her hand, she looks down at the puppy on the floor in front of her. "Sit," she orders, but Tiger just looks at her confusedly. "Come on, sit." Jade gently pushes down on his back, and the puppy automatically sits. "Good boy!" She exclaims, bending down to his level. She repeats the command again before opening her hand to let him eat a treat.

Just as Tiger is eagerly taking the snack, Anna comes down the stairs.

"So you're not dead," Georgia teases her daughter from where she stands in the kitchen.

"Waking up at ten o'clock does not a dead person make," Anna defends. She turns towards her daughter, who is attaching a red leash to Tiger's collar. "Good morning, Jade."

"Morning. So you're really going today, huh?"

"Just for a couple of hours. I'd rather not answer too many questions about the current state of my life."

Jade stifles a laugh, and, half an hour later, the five of them and Tiger are leaving for the town square. Bradley drives himself, Georgia, and Anna, while Beck takes the truck with Jade and Tiger.

By noon, every booth is set up and nearly everyone in Burley is in the town center for the festival. Two minutes after Jade gets the face painting set out, she has a line of eight kids waiting their turn. She sighs and looks across the street at Beck, who is helping Bradley start to cook. He grins and gives her a thumbs up, and Jade sticks her tongue out at him in return.

"Can I have a pony?"

A little girl with blonde pigtails gives Jade a gap-toothed smile.

"Sure," Jade sighs. "Sit down. Where do you want it?"

She points to her cheek, and Jade gets started. Five kids later, she looks up to see someone considerably taller than her average customer. Andre smiles at her and looks down at the little boy in front of him.

"Jade," he says, "this is my next-door neighbor, Quentin. Q, this is my friend Jade."

"I want a basketball on my hand," the seven-year-old informs her. "Can you do that?"

"Sure can," Jade replies, and reaches for the orange paint.

"How's it going?" Andre asks, leaning on the table.

"So far I've drawn a pony, three American flags, and a snake."

"Doesn't sound too miserable," he laughs.

"What about you? Doesn't Georgia have you working a booth?"

"Yeah, I'm working the water balloon toss, but my shift isn't for another two hours. After that and lunch, I'm going up to Middleton to spend the day with Cat. Tonight, the nurses are taking whoever wants to outside to see the fireworks show, and I know Cat will want to, and I want to be there with her."

"That's cool of you," Jade says, finishing the art on Quentin's arm. "All done, kiddo."

"Thanks! That's awesome!"

Andre smiles and ruffles the little boy's hair. "It does look pretty sick."

Two hours into serving countless barbecue plates, Beck looks over at Jade to see that she's arguing with a little girl about painting a dolphin on her cheek. He chuckles to himself as the two bicker back and forth for another minute, until Jade finally relents. By that point, Georgia is watching, too. She shakes her head. "Oh, Jade."

Beck turns to look at the woman next to him. "Georgia?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm in love with your granddaughter."

Georgia stares at him, and Bradley turns around from the grill to see the look on her face. She waits a few seconds before replying.

"I figured. But thank you for telling me." She pats his shoulder, and Bradley smiles as he turns back to continue grilling. "And, Beck?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Take care of her. I know you will and I'm far from worried, but just promise me."

"I promise."

"Good. By the way, darling, your shift is over. Go have fun."

Beck smiles and pulls the latex gloves off of his hands. "Thanks, Georgia."

"Oh, Beck, would you mind grabbing my cell phone from my office? No rush; I just want to show Georgia something but I left it on my desk inside." Bradley reaches into his pocket. "Here are the keys."

"No problem. You guys mind if Tiger stays here?"

"Not at all."

Beck thanks him and leaves the tent to find Jade finishing the dolphin on a very happy little girl's cheek. "You done?"

"Yes, thank god." Jade sets the paintbrush down and takes the hand that her boyfriend offers her. He pulls her up and wraps his arms around her waist. Jade almost pulls away before she remembers that they don't have to hide anything anymore.

"Feels weird to be able to do this in public," Beck practically reads her mind.

Jade reaches up to kiss him. "We don't have to be in public, now that our shifts are over. We could go home."

"No, we can't." He smiles at her. "I promised Andre we'd stop by the balloon toss and play a round."

"Really?" She kisses him again. "But I can think of so many things we could do that are so much more fun than a balloon toss."

Beck grins. "You're evil. Hey, I told Bradley I'd go get something from his office. Come with me?"

Jade shrugs, and they walk hand-in-hand for eight minutes until they reach the office. After Beck has unlocked the door, Jade closes and locks it behind him and follows him back into the office. While Beck finds Bradley's iPhone on the desk and sticks it in his pocket, Jade has hopped up to sit on the exam table.

Beck turns around to see her, smiling slyly and raising one eyebrow.

"We can't," he says, but he barely believes himself.

Jade reaches her hand out and uses his grasp to pull him closer. "Yes, we can." She weaves her fingers into his thick head of hair and Beck finally closes the space between their lips. He kisses with a sense of urgency, as if he's worried that anyone could walk in at any second despite the locked door.

Beck moves downwards, kissing her neck and causing Jade's head to fall back in pleasure. When he moves both of his hands to start unbuttoning her jean shorts, Jade instantly complies and helps him by wiggling them down to her ankles.

"You'll tell me?" He double checks, just as she'd expected him to. She nods her head in confirmation that, yes, she'll tell him if anything feels uncomfortable. At this point, though, she can barely think straight—and she loves it. Beck loops his left arm around her body to hold her close to him. He reaches the other hand carefully down between her legs, and he can feel the effect he's had on her.

He's barely made contact with her skin when she pushes up towards him. Beck gets the hint and, using one finger, slides her underwear out of the way and rubs at her core.

"Oh my god," she sighs, and it's almost muffled completely in his shoulder. Beck slips his finger inside her a second later, and Jade has to remind herself to breathe. An added finger, some hand work, and three minutes later, Jade comes undone around him.

Beck pulls himself away slowly and kisses her forehead and then her lips. "I knew this would be worth it," she whispers against his mouth, causing him to laugh quietly.

Fifteen minutes later, after Beck and Jade have left the office and Bradley has his cell phone, the two head to the balloon toss area. They get there just in time for the start of a new round, for which Andre hands Beck a green water balloon.

Jade stands a foot away from him and crosses her arms over her chest. "You do realize we're the oldest people here by about ten years?"

"Not true," Beck argues. "Some of these kids could be in middle school!"

"Yes, that makes me feel so much better."

"Aaaaaand," Andre's voice comes over the microphone, distracting Beck and Jade. "Toss!"

Beck passes the balloon easily to his girlfriend, who pretends to nearly drop it. They aren't really challenged until the fifth round, when they're standing about six feet away from each other. Jade tosses it just a bit too far, but Beck jumps up and catches it in two hands.

By the tenth round, they're one of two teams left and standing fifteen feet apart. Jade watches the balloon fly towards her, and she catches it tightly. It explodes in her grasp, soaking everything from her chest to face. Beck bursts into laughter as the other team (of 7th graders) jumps in celebration of their win. Andre declares the middle schoolers the champions, and Beck makes his way over to Jade.

"I hate you."

He laughs and kisses her lips, which are still wet from the water balloon. "I love you, too."

While Jade walks to the bathroom to clean off her wet mascara, Beck pulls Andre to the side before the next balloon toss.

"Hey, I kind of need a favor."

Andre nods. "What's up?"

"Well, Jade and I... We've been...doing stuff."

"Stuff, like, _stuff_ stuff?" Andre clarifies, raising his eyebrows and making Beck blush.

"Yeah. Anyway, I just—I don't want to be caught off guard, unprepared."

"And you haven't had the chance to go buy condoms," Andre finishes for him.

"Well, that, and the fact that everyone in this town is going to figure out that I'm dating Georgia's granddaughter, and if anyone saw me buying them..."

"Right. Alright, here." He pulls out his wallet and opens it. "I keep this in here for emergencies, but I'll give it to you just in case."

Beck slips it into his back pocket. "Thanks, man. I'll repay the favor."

"No worries."

For the rest of the day, Beck and Jade spend their time at a few of the other activities. At dinner, they head back to the barbecue tent to help Georgia and Bradley serve dinner. Every booth closes at eight o'clock, giving the people enough time to gather on the lawn for the fireworks show.

After cleanup, Bradley removes his apron and gloves and turns to look at Georgia. "Georgia Wilson," he says, offering his hand out, "would you like to watch the fireworks show with me?"

She takes his hand. "I would." Bradley grins and leads her and Tiger out to an open spot on the lawn, where the two sit down. The puppy curls up in Georgia's lap, worn out from a day of running around in the heat. It's near completely dark, but the couple can still see each other's faces thanks to the street light reflections.

"I want to tell you something," he says. Bradley's voice, which is normally strong enough to command attention, is softer as he speaks to Georgia. "I like being around you. And I always have, which you know, but something about these last few months has made me realize just how much I do." She doesn't reply, just watches his face carefully. "I want to be with you. For real, you and me, together. But if you're not comfortable with that, or if you just want to be friends—"

Georgia shuts him up with a kiss. Bradley puts his hand on her cheek to pull her closer, and suddenly both of them realize how badly they'd both wanted it.

Five minutes into the fireworks show, Jade tilts her head up to look at Beck. They're lying in the grass, side by side, and his arm is around her. "Hey," she says, quiet enough for only him to hear but loud enough that the fireworks don't block the sound.

He smiles. "Hey."

"You know where the truck is parked, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Let's go," she says.

"Now?"

She nods and he complies, and they subtly leave the show unnoticed by anyone. The truck is parked back over behind where the booth had been. Since everyone is watching the fireworks show, there's nobody around. Jade reaches the truck first, so she moves to open the backseat door. Beck raises his eyebrows as he watches her climb inside, and she pulls him in to join her before pulling the door shut again.

She straddles his lap and Beck wastes no time in getting her tank top off. While they kiss, Jade unbuttons his plaid shirt and he shakes out of it. Beck has her bra on the car's floorboard a minute later, and both of them laugh when a big firework cracks right as he gets it unhooked.

"Hey," Jade says against his mouth. Her hands are on his shoulders and he looks into her blue eyes. "How much time do you think we have?"

His fingers are dancing on her bare back and making her shudder. "The show is thirty minutes, so, about twenty. Why?"

Jade slides her hands down his chest, and then back up to his shoulders. "I want to."

"You—you do?"

She nods. "Do you?"

He studies her eyes for a second before nodding his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she promises. "Are you?"

"Yeah. I have to tell you something."

She raises her eyebrows. "Now?"

"It's related," Beck explains.

"Okay. Shoot."

"I was, well, I was worried...that this might happen. That we might be in this situation, and be...unprepared. I asked Andre for a condom, just in case."

"Okay."

"You're not upset?"

"No. Why would I be?"

"I didn't think you'd like it if he knew anything about it."

"Well," Jade points out, "it's not like you can just walk into a Burley convenience store and buy them when anyone could see you and say something to Georgia."

"Exactly."

"So you have one?"

"Yep."

"Okay." She presses her lips to his, and, without another word, moves to unbutton his jeans. When they're completely naked, Beck rips open the foil packet. "Don't mess up," Jade tells him, and his eyes dart up to meet hers.

"What?"

"I'm just saying," she says, laughing. "It's our only one."

"I think it's pretty hard to mess up." Beck slides it on and looks up at her with raised eyebrows. "On the first try."

Jade grins. "Impressive." She holds onto his shoulders as she lifts herself up onto her knees, one leg on either side of his body. "Ready?"

"Uh-huh. Jade?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Beck holds her hips and she sinks down, letting him fill her. Neither one of them can speak, and Jade waits a second before lifting up and then lowering down again. The fireworks are still shooting off outside, but Jade has forgotten about everything other than Beck, and the sensation he's giving her as he kisses her lips.

Beck, meanwhile, knows that he may not last longer than a few minutes. Wanting her to finish first, he makes a lightening-fast decision to try something he'd read when researching tactics online. As Jade moves up and down on him, he reaches a nervous hand between their bodies and finds the spot at her core that she'd led him to just the night before.

Jade cries out loud and Beck knows he's done something right. He uses his thumb to rub the spot in circles, which results in Jade moving even faster on him. A minute later, Jade is scraping harder than ever at his shoulders.

"Beck," she sighs, and her eyes close as she finds her release. She continues riding him for as long as she can afterwards, which isn't long but gives Beck enough time to come.

She stops, then, leaning against him tiredly. She's surprised that she doesn't even care about the fact that there's a mixture of sweat—both her own and Beck's—on her chest. When she finally gets the energy to sit up, Beck helps her lift herself off of him and land back on his lap.

They're quiet for a second until Jade starts laughing. "We just had sex in a truck. Does that make us stereotypical teenagers?"

Beck laughs, too. "I don't care."

"Good. I don't either." She leans in to kiss him and Beck grins against her lips.

"Hey, you know what that was?"

She laughs. "Impressive?"

"Totally impressive."

.

Another month passes by and Jade and Beck are inseparable. If they're not at their jobs, they're playing with Tiger and finding one adventure after the other with each other.

Bradley's occurrence at dinner becomes normal and often lasts until the morning, making Georgia the happiest woman alive. Anna moves back to Los Angeles to finish settling the divorce from Mitchell and move into a two-bedroom apartment.

Most nights after dinner, Jade finds herself at the piano, playing and composing while Beck watches adoringly. After a week of noticing that he actually could read music, Jade goes to Burley's local, tiny little music store. She buys her boyfriend a Fender and the case and strap to go with it.

"What's this?"

"I want you to have it. It's yours."

Beck looks down at the guitar case she's placed in his arms. "Jade, I love you, but I can't accept this. This guitar costs a fortune."

"I don't care. Yours broke, and you need a new one."

Beck almost furrows his eyebrows before remembering that he had indeed told her his guitar had broken in lieu of the real story. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know I didn't." Jade puts her hands on his arms and rubs up and down. "But now we can play together."

He leans his forehead down so it's against hers. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you, too."

That night, Beck is testing out the guitar while Jade plays a tune on the piano. Bradley and Georgia are sitting on the couch, each with a glass of red wine, watching as the two teenagers play together. When there's a knock at the door, Brad kisses Georgia's temple and tells her he'll answer it.

The vet is surprised when he opens the door to a police officer. "Keith," Bradley says, smiling as he shakes the officer's hand. "How's it going?"

"I've been better," he answers his friend. "Is Georgia here?"

"She is. Can I ask what's going on?"

The other man sighs. "It's not so good. It's, uh, well, it's about Beck. He's still living here, isn't he?"

Bradley closes the door behind him so as not to let any bugs—or noise—into the house. "Yeah," he answers, "he's inside."

"You happen to know anything about his legal situation?"

He nods slowly. "I know some. Georgia knows more. He doesn't like to talk about it, though."

"His last name isn't Oliver, for one. His parents are looking for him; they put out a nationwide search request. We know it's Beck because they've got pictures and only the last name is different. They've got a whole list of claims about why they need him back and how his status as a non-emancipated minor makes him technically a refugee. Apparently he got all the way to Burley from Tulsa?"

Bradley folds his arms nervously. "Don't tell me you're here to arrest him."

"No, of course not," Keith promises. "There's no warrant yet. I just wanted to give him—and Georgia—a heads up of what could happen if they do demand a warrant for his arrest. The parents pretty upset from the looks of it; he might not have much time."

"Okay. Thanks so much, Keith." Bradley shakes his friend's hand again. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"No problem. Just...tell him to be careful. I don't know what all went down in Tulsa, but this could get ugly."

The vet nods in understanding and bids Officer Byers goodnight before heading back inside. Unsure of what to do, he casually asks Georgia to join him in the kitchen. She knows instantly that something is wrong when he lowers his voice and has her sit down.

"Who was it? You're scaring me."

"It was Keith Byers. He came by to talk about Beck's legal situation."

"What's happening?"

Bradley relays the information to her and her face pales. "We need to tell him as soon as possible," he says.

"I don't think he's even told Jade," Georgia whispers nervously. "This is not a good way for her to find out."

"Darling, I hate to say it, but we're just about out of options. We need to get this ball rolling now so I can start building a case if necessary." Bradley sees the fear in her eyes and he reaches over to clutch her hand. "We have to tell him."

It's Georgia who makes the move into the living room. "Beck, honey, will you come help Bradley move something real quick?"

"Sure," he says easily, putting his guitar down while Jade continues playing. He follows Georgia into the kitchen and finds Bradley sitting at the table.

"Sit, quick," Georgia tells him softly.

"Is everything okay?"

"Your parents are looking for you," Bradley informs him in a tone only loud enough for the three of them to hear.

Beck feels a pit in his stomach, and then he gets a much more unpleasant feeling in the bile that rises in his throat. He's puking in the sink the next second. Georgia gets him a glass of water and helps him sit back down.

"I'm assuming you don't want to go back to them," Bradley says, still quietly. Beck nods and feels the nausea again. "Okay. We need to get to work on building a case against them. You're going to have to tell me everything—and I mean everything. Are you okay with that?" Beck nods again, and his head is spinning so fast that he barely hears Jade when she speaks.

"What the hell is going on? Why does everyone look like someone was just murdered?"

"Everything is fine," Beck dares to lie to her.

His statement jogs a clear thought process in her brain. "Is this about what I think it's about?"

"Jade—"

"No. No more. I want to know."

"Jade, please, I can't—"

"Stop!" She screams, shocking all three of the other people in the kitchen. Tiger cowers behind her. "Stop saying you can't tell me! I'm sick of it! If you think I can't tell you're hurting, you're wrong! Very wrong." She's fighting tears now-tears she doesn't want to fall in front of her grandmother or Bradley. She turns away to walk up the stairs, Tiger following closely behind her.

Beck's face falls into his palms and Georgia sighs sadly. Bradley stands up from his spot at the table and puts both of his hands on Beck's shoulders. "It's going to be okay, son. Go upstairs and talk to her. We'll figure this mess out in the morning."

Beck rises miserably from his chair and heads up the stairs two minutes later. While Bradley walks Georgia to bed, Beck enters his girlfriend's room to find her throwing things into her suitcase.

"Jade," he says, but she ignores him. "Jade, stop."

"Why? So you can lie to me some more?"

"I haven't lied to you," Beck lies. "Well, I have, but it's more just that I haven't told you everything."

"No shit," Jade huffs, hurling another shirt into her bag.

"Please, Jade. Please stop packing—"

"Then tell me," she snaps, standing up straight to face him. "Tell me everything." He doesn't answer. "I'm not staying unless I know. I can't do this; I can't give up my life in LA if I still feel like I'm in love with someone I don't even completely know. I can't."

Beck feels the nausea again.

"Okay," he says, two minutes of silence later. "I'll tell you everything."


	11. Chapter Eleven

_._

**Chapter Eleven**

.

"Everything?" Jade asks, clenching the jeans in her hands so harshly that her knuckles are white.

Beck steps towards his girlfriend and gently takes the pants from her grasp. "I swear." He puts his hand in hers and steps over several strewn clothes to lead her to her bed. They lie down together, each on one shoulder so they can face each other.

"I grew up in Tulsa, which you know," Beck begins. He tries to think about where in his story he should continue, but everything he could say sounds too shameful in his head to say out loud. "Jade, I..." He sighs. "I can't tell you all of this stuff."

"Why not?"

Beck doesn't answer, and Jade can see his mind reeling just by looking at his facial expression. She gives him several minutes to speak again.

"It's embarrassing," he finally replies. Jade's silence and stillness indicates that she's not going anywhere, so Beck takes another few minutes to muster the courage to tell her.

"My dad has hit me for as long as I can remember. He'd been hitting my mom since before I was born."

Jade tries not to visibly flinch.

"I tried to run away four times as a kid. The first time they found me, my dad tried to drown me in the bathtub. I was seven." Jade's eyes water, but Beck isn't stopping now. "The fourth time, I was eleven. I don't remember what he did to me, only that I woke up a week later in a hospital. According to him, I'd been hit in the head with a soccer ball at practice and had a bad concussion. After that, I stopped trying."

"Beck," Jade cries softly, closing her eyes for a second of relief. At this point, though, her boyfriend is telling the story as if he had no personal connection to it.

"When I was in seventh grade I told my dad I was joining the soccer team. Pretending to go to practice was my excuse for getting a job. I lied about my age and they hired me at an ice skating rink. The uniform was jeans and a long sleeve shirt, which worked because I was completely covered up and never had to answer any questions about bruises or marks. That's how I made enough money to carry out my fifth runaway."

Beck goes on to tell her of his hitchhiking trail – how he'd met Cat and Lola, the kindness and harshness he'd experienced from complete strangers, and the true story of how his guitar had been stolen. "Georgia took me in when I had nowhere else to go," he explains. "She saved my life. I didn't even tell her about me or about my parents; she took me in anyways." He tells her about what Officer Byers had said about his parents searching for him, and how Bradley will help him stay away from them.

Jade's head is spinning as she realizes just how little she'd known about Beck's past. Things begin piecing together in her head – how hesitant Beck had been to hit Jordan or Mitchell, his ridiculously hard work ethic, and his habit of always peppering Jade with questions to take up the time he wouldn't spend talking about himself. Jade loses the control she'd had on her tears and brings her hands up to cover her face while she cries.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks softly. "You didn't tell me any of this." Beck doesn't answer, just gives her time to process. "All this time," she cries. "All this time I knew nothing."

"I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't know how to tell you."

"You can't just keep things like this from me," she explains tearfully.

"I know. I promise I won't again."

Jade finally meets his eyes. She puts her hand on his cheek and doesn't bother to catch the tear that rolls down her own face. "Are you okay?"

Beck nods softly. "I'm okay."

"I love you so much. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm okay." Beck takes her hand slowly off of his face and kisses it. He slides closer so he can wrap his arms fully around her, and Jade presses her head to his chest. He stretches up to turn off the lamp and then drops a kiss to her hair.

"What are you going to do?" Jade asks, after several minutes of silence.

Beck sighs. "I don't know. I guess I'll let them keep looking. They won't find me; I went too far and I didn't leave a trail."

"You can't just wait for something bad to happen," she argues back, but her voice is still tired and worn out from crying.

"I don't have much of a choice."

"You could turn yourself in. Explain to the police what happened; they won't make you go back to your parents."

Beck's stomach churns at the thought. "I don't want to risk it."

Jade sighs heavily into his chest, too exhausted to finish the conversation at the moment. She closes her eyes. "Just don't leave me," she says, almost too quietly for him to hear her.

"I won't."

When they wake up the next morning, the rainstorm that had started in the middle of the night is still going on. While the lightening and most of the thunder have subsided, the rain still beats against the window in Jade's bedroom. Tiger, who hates the rain, had curled up against Beck's back sometime last night.

Beck draws his fingers in back-and-forth movements against Jade's back. When he looks down at her face, he sees her eyes are still puffy from the events of last night. He kisses her forehead, and Jade figures – knowing him – that he's going to want to talk about things and make sure she's okay.

"I'm hungry," he says instead, and it seems so uncharacteristic and well-timed that she almost laughs.

"Me too. I want oatmeal. And coffee." Before Beck can reply, Tiger crawls over his body and slides between him and Jade. The puppy licks at her cheek, making Jade squirm as he gets dog slobber on her face. "Tiger," she cringes, half-disgusted and half-laughing. Beck pulls the puppy's head up and playfully wrestles him to distract him.

"Come on, Tig. Let's get your food."

When the three descend the stairs, Bradley and Georgia are both sitting at the kitchen table with their morning cups of coffee. Neither of them mentions Jade's redder-than-usual eyes, as they can conclude for themselves her reason for being upset last night. While Beck makes coffee, Jade sets out Tiger's food and water bowls.

"Well, the good news is that the plants won't need to be watered for a while," Bradley notes. "It's been pouring for about eight hours now."

"I think we could all use a lazy Sunday," Georgia says, sipping on her coffee. And so it is. Beck and Jade spend the morning working on the new song they'd started last night while Bradley and Georgia build a puzzle on the coffee table. After lunch, Georgia works with her granddaughter to book her flights to and from Los Angeles. Jade wanted to get more clothes and personal belongings from her home in California in order to effectively move to Burley.

Meanwhile, Bradley is sitting on the covered portion of the porch with Beck, shielded from but watching the rain.

"How did Jade take it?"

Beck sighs. "She was...upset. It was a long night. I don't know if I feel better or worse now that she knows. I don't want her to worry about me, but the thing she was most upset about was that I hadn't told her."

The older man smiles wisely. "Women don't usually like to be left out of the know. And they always figure things out anyways."

Beck nods. "I just don't want her to think less of me, or be worried about me."

"I guarantee you she doesn't think you're any less of a man, Beck. And as for worrying about you – I bet she does that anyways." He takes a sip of his glass of Georgia's lemonade. "Now, I don't want to dampen the mood too much, but you know we've got some stuff to sort out." Beck nods again. "Are you okay to tell me everything I need to know?"

Beck looks uneasy, so Bradley continues.

"I'm only doing this so that I can start helping you build a case against your parents," he explains. "In the event that your parents get that warrant for your arrest, you'll have to testify against them if you don't want to live under their roof again."

"Okay."

A few shaky breaths later, Beck begins a conversation of mostly his dialogue that lasts for close to two hours. While he details every instance of abuse that he can remember – or stomach saying out loud – Bradley does his best not to visibly flinch. Beck recounts how his father never even had to have a drink in him to hit his son – even when he cried, even when he begged, even when he was barely five years old.

There are things he doesn't share, things that aren't completely necessary to his testimony. Things about how he felt inside, or the things he did and said to himself, or the lies he told at school to keep people from asking questions.

By the time Beck finishes talking, he's exhausted. Bradley palms his shoulder and gives it a reassuring rub. "You won't have to go back there, son. I promise."

"Thanks, Bradley. For everything."

A week later, Georgia and Beck drive Jade to the airport. Georgia kisses her granddaughter's forehead and hugs her while Beck pulls her bag out of the trunk. He sets it on the ground next to her and pulls her into a hug.

"I love you," he says before kissing her. "Call me when you land."

Jade nods. "I'll be back in two days. I love you too."

She lands at LAX six hours later, where Anna picks her up. The blonde takes her daughter into her new apartment in West Hollywood, where she had moved - by herself - all of both her own and Jade's possessions from the old house with Mitchell.

When they arrive, Anna gives Jade a tour of the place - of both bedrooms and bathrooms, the spacious living room, and the kitchen. "I know you won't be living here, at least for now," Anna says as Jade stands in the middle of her bedroom, "but I wanted you to have your room here anyways."

Anna had decorated the entire room by herself, in a very Jade-like color scheme of dark charcoal, purple, and blue. Jade sinks down on the soft, queen-sized bed. "It's really nice, Mom. Thank you." She wishes she could say something to ease her mother's mind about how she wishes she could really live in this bedroom - but, truthfully, she already misses Beck so much that it makes her bones ache.

That night, Anna takes Jade to her daughter's favorite gourmet Mexican food place in Los Angeles. The blonde puts in their order for an appetizer and then turns back towards Jade. "Are you excited to start school in Burley?"

Jade shrugs. "I guess so."

"You guess so?"

"Yeah. I just need a break from everyone at school here. And it's not as if Beck can move here."

Anna stares at her daughter intently. There's something different about her - not good or bad, necessarily, just different. She looks more mature than the girl Anna had dropped off in Burley three months ago. "Tell me about Beck."

Jade furrows her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. You two just seem to be...very committed. I don't know him well—"

"And whose fault is that?"

"You don't have to get defensive," Anna says, keeping her voice calm. "I know I was skeptical of Beck at first. I admit that. But now that you two are dating - and pretty seriously after a short amount of time - I just want to know about him."

Jade sighs and sips on her glass of water. She pauses before speaking. "Beck is a good guy. You don't have anything to worry about, if you thought you did to begin with."

"I didn't. You must really like him if you're willing to go to school in Burley just to stay with him." The brunette blushes a deep red and she looks down at the table. Anna fights a smile; never in her life has she seen Jade get like this over _anyone_.

"Can we not talk about this?" She mutters.

"Jade, you've been away all summer and you're about to be gone for I-don't-know-how-long." Anna doesn't mean for her blue eyes to water but she can't help it. Jade looks up at her mother and Anna quickly wipes a tear from her cheek. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to think that I'm trying to get you to stay. I'm happy for you and I want you to do what makes you happiest."

Jade considers the fact that her mother will be here in LA, alone, in recovery from alcoholism and coping with the fact that she'd unknowingly married a psychopath. She sighs.

"Beck is the best person I know," she says honestly. Anna smiles and barely notices when the waiter sets the appetizer on the table between her and Jade. "He's works harder than anyone at everything he does. He's polite; everyone loves him. He's annoyingly hard not to get along with. You'd actually have to try - hard - to dislike him."

"It doesn't hurt that he's downright adorable," Anna adds, and Jade bites back a smile. That's one detail she can't deny. After a minute, the blonde eyes her daughter again. "Promise me something? Two things, actually."

"Hmm?"

"First, promise me you'll be safe - in every meaning of that term. You know I trust you; I trust you more than I trust myself after what's happened. I just want to know that you'll be careful with yourself. You've had more than enough hurt for one lifetime." Jade nods and Anna continues. "Second, will you visit California? Just every once in a while. You could bring Beck."

"I will," she promises. "I'll need a break from Burley eventually, and Beck has always wanted to go to California."

"Okay." Anna catches another stubborn tear before it falls. "Thank you."

Later that night, Jade is trying - unsuccessfully - to get comfortable in her bed. She's already texted Beck that she was going to sleep, but she's been trying for half an hour to fall asleep and has had no luck whatsoever. Frustrated, she props her pillows up and grabs her phone.

_To: _**Beck**

_Still up?_

* * *

Beck's phone dings and he picks it up off of his bed. He smiles when he sees the text from Jade.

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Yep, still working on this song :) Couldnt sleep?_

* * *

Jade sighs in relief.

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_No. It's weird._

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_What's weird?_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_Idk_

.

_To: _**Beck**

_Not having you here, I guess. It's weird._

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Thank god_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_?_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_It's SO WEIRD. I miss you so much_

* * *

Jade can't help or control the smile that erupts onto her face.

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Seriously. I can't wait to see you_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_Is it bad that we can't even go two days without seeing each other?_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_I don't think so. I mean, we've been together pretty much all day every day for three months. We're allowed to be weirded out by a few days apart _

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_Ok, good. Shit I really miss you._

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Rest up, babe, because after I pick you up at the airport tomorrow night, you won't be getting any more sleep_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_Beck, you can't say things like that to me when I'm trying to fall asleep_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Sorry. I've just been thinking all day about how I'm going to push you up against the wall and kiss you_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_Beck oh my fod_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_I'll put my hands up your shirt and on your breasts to make you moan my name_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_please_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_And when all of our clothes are off I'll make love to you against the wall_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_yEs_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_And even after I make you come, I'll carry you to the bed so you can sit on my face _

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_You jnow I love thaf_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Imagine my hands gripping your hips as you ride my face until I can taste you again_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_beck_

.

_To: __**Beck**_

_I swear to god I love you so much_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_I love you more. I miss you. And I can't wait to do exactly what I just said I'd do_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_God I can't wait for tomorrow night_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Me either. Get some sleep, I love you_

* * *

_To: _**Beck**

_I love you. Text me when you wake up_

* * *

_To: _**Jade**

_Promised. Goodnight babe_

* * *

Jade boards her plane back to Idaho twenty hours later, a large suitcase and two carry-on bags in tow containing everything she'll need for the fall and winter. She'd made Anna promise to take care of herself - and promised her mother that she herself would do the same. When she exits the terminal back in Burley, she's nearly shaking with anticipation to see Beck.

When she gets to baggage claim, she sees him standing in a crowd of about ten other people, presumably also waiting for others. She grins at the sight of him standing there - tall and smiling, in a dark green plaid button-up and jeans. As soon as she reaches him, she drops her carry-on bag at her feet and throws herself into his arms to hug him.

Beck lifts her slightly off the ground and then sets her back down to kiss her. "Hi," he says against her mouth.

"Hi." Jade kisses him again, and they don't pull away for almost a full minute. "Wow. We can never do long distance. Ever."

"Ever," Beck agrees, pressing his lips to hers. "I missed you so much. How was your flight?"

"I slept." She winks and Beck laughs and kisses her before taking her hand and leading her over to the baggage carousel. When all of her bags are loaded into the truck, they start the drive home.

Jade holds his hand in the space between their seats and Beck rubs his thumb against hers. "We've got orientation for the new school year this week," he says. "It's on Wednesday."

"Ugh. I cannot imagine going back to school. Summer has been so surprisingly relaxing."

"Andre said he'd go at the same time as us. He can introduce us to some people."

"I guess that would be okay. I'm not really interested in knowing anyone besides you, Andre, and Cat - but I'll go."

Beck shrugs. "Everyone in this town seems pretty nice. Can't be too bad."

After the two have arrived back home and Jade has greeted her grandmother and Bradley, Beck helps her carry her bags upstairs to her room. "Jade, did you pack bricks in here?"

"More like boots," she replies, opening the door for him since he has no free hands. Beck sets the bags down and grabs onto Jade's waist to pull her onto the bed. She giggles uncharacteristically as he crawls on top of her and kisses up her chest to her neck.

"I missed you way too much," Beck whispers. Within five minutes, he's grabbing a condom out of her bedside drawer. A month ago, they had figured that buying them from the convenience store on the outskirts of Burley would be their best option.

Beck slides it onto himself and kisses Jade as he enters her. Since they know Bradley and Georgia are watching a movie downstairs, they don't have to be _completely_ silent - but they're also not about to risk being heard.

When they've both finished, Beck pulls out of her and, out of nowhere, Jade laughs.

Beck turns his head towards her. "What?"

"I still have to unpack everything."

"Nah." Beck shakes his head and pulls her to cuddle next to him.

Jade laughs again. "What do you mean _nah_? I have three suitcases to unpack."

He kisses her temple and smiles as he closes his eyes. "We can do it tomorrow. I'm tired."

"I don't care," she says, tapping his chest with her palm. "My clothes can't get wrinkly. Get up; we have work to do." After Jade grabs his button-up and slides into it, she pulls on a pair of underwear and stands up to decide what the best method of unpacking will be. Beck, meanwhile, is propped up on his elbows with only a sheet halfway covering his middle.

He doesn't say anything, just watches as his girlfriend dons his shirt better than he does. When she notices the staring, Jade turns towards him, placing her hands on her hips. "Can I help you?"

He smiles. "I'm just appreciating the way you look in that shirt."

"We have work to do. Would it help you if I took the shirt off?" She asks, threatening to unbutton the latch that would release her otherwise uncovered chest. Beck shakes his head wordlessly and Jade throws his boxers at him. "Get up."

Beck pulls his underwear on and crawls off the bed near where his girlfriend is standing. He holds her from behind and kisses the back of her neck. "What can I do to help?"

"For starters, don't kiss me until we're done with this. It's already midnight and this is going to take forever if we end up pausing to have sex again." Beck complies by pulling his lips off of her neck, but the break of contact only makes Jade want him to keep going. "Okay, just for a second," she says, almost breathlessly, as she turns around in his arms. Beck kisses her lips and then drags them smoothly down her cheek and back to her neck. Jade's hands slide down on his bare chest, and then back up to grip his shoulders.

"I missed you," she says, and it comes out as more of a moan than she had intended. After another minute, she has to forcibly hold in a whimper when Beck pulls away again.

"Hey," he says, getting her attention. "You know that I would be happy to continue this on the bed, but I know you want to get unpacked - and if we keep this up, I'm not going to be able to help myself." He nods towards his boxers and she sighs.

"I know. Let's get this over with."

Beck kisses her forehead and drops his arms back to his side. He moves to the first suitcase, and opens it to find that it's filled entirely with shoes. "Really?"

"I like shoes!"

"Five of these pairs are black boots. You already have two here with you!"

"They're each different," she argues. "Take them out and find each one's matching shoe so I can start organizing them in the closet."

An hour and a half later, all three suitcases are unpacked. Shoes are put away, clothes are hung, and the closet is neat and organized just the way Jade likes it. She walks over to Beck and steps into his arms to kiss him. "Thank you for helping."

"You're welcome."

She kisses the line of his jaw and then sucks at the spot on his neck that she knows he loves. "Are you too tired?" She whispers against his skin.

He laughs. "Are you kidding?"

She doesn't have to say another word before he's lifted her in his arms and carrying her to the bed. After pulling her underwear down her legs and flinging them onto the floor, he buries his face between her legs. He's gotten so much better since the first time he'd gone down on her, which is more and more evident to Jade every time he does it.

After half an hour of pleasing each other, she collapses against him and lets her heartbeat slow down. Beck pulls the blankets over their naked bodies and Jade snuggles closer to him. "I missed you," he says in a yawn. "Love you, babe."

She mumbles the words in return against his chest before drifting off into a heavy sleep.

Three days later, Jade, Beck, and Andre are walking into Burley High School for the junior class's orientation. When they walk inside the main building, Beck grabs ahold of Jade's hand.

"So, this is BHS," Andre informs them. "We'll go to the library first to get student IDs for the new year. The cafeteria is that way," he says, pointing behind them, "and the buildings are organized by A, B, and C. Don't worry, this school is pretty small."

"How many people are in our grade?" Beck asks.

"About a hundred and fifty."

"So everyone knows everyone," he concludes.

"And gossip spreads like wildfire," Andre answers with a grin. It's then that Beck and Jade notice that people are staring at them. "You'll get used to it," he says easily. "We never get new kids - ever. People are just surprised to see two in one day. Here, let me introduce you to some."

Within a few seconds, Andre has called over the group of guys who had just gotten their IDs printed. "Guys, this is Beck and Jade. They're new here."

"I'm Nate," the tall blonde says, mostly to Jade.

"I'm Carter," the one next to him says, "but most people call me Chapman."

"Emmett," the last one introduces himself. "Welcome to Burley. I think I've seen you," he tells Jade, who raises an eyebrow. "You're work at Dr. Dunne's office, right?"

"Oh," Jade says, almost laughing as she remembers, "you brought the dog that had eaten the toy firetruck."

"My little brother's," Emmett explains, grinning. "Glad you remember."

"How could I forget? Usually we get old women bringing their sick cats into the office. It makes me want to jump out the window. At least your dog had something interesting going on."

"Jade West, already making friends," Andre interjects. "Anyways, we've got to get our IDs. See you guys around!"

The boys say their goodbyes and Beck doesn't realize how tightly he's clenching Jade's hand until she taps his arm. "Babe, _ow_."

"Sorry," he says, easing up as they walk into the library.

By the time they've finished orientation, they've met more people than Beck or Jade can remember. A few girls lingered their eyes on Beck for far too long, in Jade's opinion, leaving her annoyed. Beck, on the same note, seemed to play up the bodily contact with his girlfriend any time he caught other guys staring at her. By the time they get home, they're tired and content to watch a TV movie on the couch together. During a commercial break, Beck turns his head down to look at Jade, who is cuddled against him. "You nervous about school?"

She shrugs. "I don't like the fact that we don't have all of our classes together. That Tori girl looked like she was ready to spread her legs when you said hi to her."

"I'm not worried about her. In case you haven't heard, I'm actually dating the new girl at Burley High School. She's gorgeous, with bright blue eyes and the prettiest hair I've ever seen."

Jade grins. "Now you're just trying to get me to spread _my_ legs."

He laughs, and then sighs. "I don't want to share you with every guy at that high school, either."

"I wouldn't worry about that," she says, nearly repeating his words. "You're stuck with me, Oliver."

* * *

**Up Next: Beck and Jade start high school, and Beck's parents make a move to get their son back.**

**Thoughts?**


End file.
